


Stow-away

by Lyrishadow



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:42:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 54,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: An unintentional stow-away with her own set of issues and connections; what will it mean to be a stone in the Normandy pond.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Boxed In

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my NaNoWriMo for 2020; this year I started with two choices and decided Mass Effect was on my brain so I am going with that. 30 days, 50k words, I will be fine right?  
> (Advance apologies if this isn't edited or perfect as NaNoWriMo tends to emphasize quantity over quality and as much as I try to edit I won't always catch everything.)

Something was wrong with a crate they took on with their supplies on Novera. Every time Kaidan Alenko walked past, he felt more than heard a soft hum. It made him stop, irritated, staring at the crates of supplies.  
"You keep staring at those crates, let me at least scan them." Alenko nodded and Garrus Vakarian walked over from his spot next to the Mako with his Omnitool out and grunted "that can't be right?"  
"What?"  
"The box has...heat? I hope it's not Rachni..."  
"What are you two doing?" Commander Patrick Shepard stood just behind them.  
"Crate is making noises, and Garrus says it's warm… could be Rachni.."  
"Have you considered opening it?" Shepard asked, shrugging and drawing his weapon "Be ready."  
"Aye aye" Kaidan moved forward, unclipping the crates latches. A rush of air escaped, followed by a soft moan.   
Kaiden stared at the source of the sound.  
Inside the crate, in Alliance gear lay a woman with red hair loose around her head. She did not move, but the sound told them she was at least still alive.  
"Spirits, I was thinking some kind of animal not a human!" Garrus joined them.  
"Kaidan check on her vitals, Garrus do we have anything we can lay her on?" Shepard bent down with a frown "Joker? Send Doctor Chakwas down to the hold, as fast as you can."  
"Yes sir, she's on her way."

Garrus found a tarpaulin to lay the unconscious girl on, when they lifted her she was light but also her leg was definitely bent the wrong way.  
"Whoever put her in here did not bank on her being alive when found." Garrus nodded at the seals on the crate, "at least we might have gotten her in time."  
"Her oxygen is low." Alenko was now scanning and checking vitals "she's also freezing but dehydrated, not sure what else, she hasn't been in the crate long but whoever put her there was hell bent on harming her, even before they got rid of the evidence. "  
"What have you found, Commander?" The doctor ran from the lift with her kit "oh."   
Setting to work she managed to get a drip, and a splint working to get the girl up to the med bay.  
"Alright, who is going to carry her, Commander since you are the talestl please take the drip for now."   
"I have her." Alenko lifted her with ease, now they had an audience - Ash, Wrex and Tali had come to see who the person was.  
"Garrus?" The Commander asked as they moved forward "do your c-sec thing with that crate, we need to know why and who shoved her in there,"  
" Yes sir."   
" Ashley, lend a hand if you can, I will be back down shortly."  
Ashley Williams nodded as the lift door closed 

The Normandy was abuzz with activity and conversation that was not about Geth or Saren’s large ship for the first time since Eden Prime. They had taken on Liara at Therrum but even the daughter of Matriarch Benezzia had generated less confusion.  
In the med bay Dr Chakwas had stabilized the patient and they had found her dog tags.  
An Alliance Marine, N7 named Chloe Halon, her uniform was clean of any sign of the Rachni labs, though it was anyone's guess how long she had been low on oxygen and even though they were careful her leg was still going to take some time to heal.   
"Alenko, you are now on guard duty, let me know when she wakes up."   
"Yes sir."  
Leaving the med bay Pat Shepard hurried back to the others who were busy working the case in the hold of the Normandy.  
"What have we got Garrus?"  
"No trace of Rachni, actually very little trace of anything, which from these kinds of crates is really strange."  
"There were minute traces of a sedative gas though." Ashley Williams stated coming over to stand nearby with a data pad, "the kind they use in research that involves animal test subjects. Can't tell if it was residue or they used it on her "  
"It was an error for the crate to have been loaded here." Garrus pointed at the docking information, clearly intended for a ship arriving in two to three months. " they really meant for her to be dead when found."  
"Thats horrible " Ash shook her head " i wonder what she did that caused that kind of anger,"  
"Nothing sprung up on the c-sec database for similar cases and she isn’t listed as missing."   
"So not much from the crate, wait is that her kit bag?"  
"Oh we were just getting to that." Ash opened the bag and dropped the contents gingerly onto the tarp. "Huh no weapons."  
"They wanted to take them at the door, remember?"   
"Might explain it, this knife has blood on it." Garrus pointed at the folded knife which had a layer of blue on it "turian blood, and maybe others."  
"Odd, seems more of a powder, like a scraped sample than from a wound." Shepard paused " well, it does raise some questions."  
"Commander?" Ash pushed a data pad to him, it was securely locked, but some files were accessible.  
"Heh extranet search data, and some notes are not locked."  
Opening the files Shepards face went through a varying form of shocked,  
"It's an sos." He said " request to deliver the data pad to Admiral Hackett. A code of some kind. And there is this.." holding the datapad up so the others could see it, there in bold were three words.  
'Shepard was right.' 

Up in the med bay Dr Chakwas was looking at Kaidan oddly.  
"You hear a buzz?"  
"Sometimes with other biotics I hear a sound from their amps."  
"Biotic, yes that explains something, give me a hand please." Doctor Chakwas had Kaidan help roll her over onto her side so that she had a clear view of the girl's head. Frowning she ran a scanner over the place where a port ought to be located.  
"Oh i see. Ok, gently now "   
"What did you find?"  
"She has an L3 custom wired, I don't recognise the configuration. "  
"Oh I had no idea that there was custom wiring for the L3."  
"It is very rare."   
"So what now?"  
"Hope she doesn't wake up too disoriented, her body may not cope with an adrenaline spike and biotic output." Doctor Chakwas noted “It may take a while Lieutenant, take a seat at least.”  
They waited another three hours for the patient to wake up.  
"Doctor Chakwas she's waking up."  
"Easy." the Doctor was next to the girl instantly, checking everything.  
The girl fought the oxygen tube that looped around her head. Trying desperately to take it off. She was a little wide eyed but then seemed to focus.  
"Wait, where am I? Who are you?" Kaidan sensed her tense up and moved to answer quickly.  
"I'm Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko, with the Systems Alliance." He paused gesturing to the doctor "this is Doctor Chakwas."  
"Major Chloe Halon N7" she attempted a salute wincing at the pain "I'm bound by secrecy to not say more."  
"You are on the SRV Normandy."  
"Did you say… the Normandy?"   
Kaidan had expected the surprise but not the outright shock.  
"Commander Shepard is on his way up." Joker called.  
"Shit." The Major gave a grimace " I'm not even presentable and…"  
"He has already seen you." Kaidan was amused.  
" Sorry. Just a shock." She paused with a frown "wait how did I end up here?"  
"Thats a good question."   
"I'm drawing a blank. " Chloe shook her head.  
"Well let's wait for Shepard to get here" Doctor Chakwas replied " no need to rush your recovery. You're a biotic too correct?"  
"I presume you saw." Chloe said adding as the doctor nodded " L3 custom wired, the normal wiring set off too many alarms for my job."  
"Which is?"  
"Well, I can't say until I have the codes to verify I am permitted to." Chloe sighed "trust me it would be easier but im bound by all kinds of rules and processors."  
"Here you will want this." Doctor Chakwas handed a biotic energy bar to the woman, who devoured it happily.  
"Commander." Alenko saluted with the speed of reflex. Chloe meanwhile attempted another salute only to be brought up short with pain.  
"Sorry Sir, every time i try to salute it hurts.." Chloe lowered her arm " Major Chloe Halon."  
"Where do you serve,marine?"   
"Sir, that gets a little difficult. If you could report toAdmiral Hackett that I am on your ship then he can let you know the codes for clearance."  
Shepared was not sure what to make of the woman in front of him. He had checked her file, such as it was, most of it was heavily redacted. It was enough to make him think she was a spy, or at least a part of an infiltration team.  
"Ok." Shepard nodded at the doctor "how are you feeling Chloe?"  
"I've had better days, if I'm being honest Sir." Her protocol was also all over the map. " I feel like I have been wrestling tigers."  
"Interesting analogy." Kaidan hid a smile.   
"I um, yeah I'm not sure how I got here actually."  
"Hm." Shepard was considering how to explain it when Joker called over the ship's   
speakers   
"Commander, you have a call from Admiral Hackett."   
"Ok." Strange, the coincidence was too large to not be something important so he shrugged and moved out to his quarters to take the call in private.

"Commander you came up as flagged by our system, can you tell me what you are looking into Chloe Halon for?"  
"Major Halon is currently in my med bay Sir."  
"I see," Hackett paused " Let me be clear: she is an operative who gathers information for the Alliance, a spy. A skilled biotic who can handle herself in a fight."  
"I assumed as much Sir,"  
"She has also been missing for several weeks."   
"Missing on Noveria?"  
"Yes, that was her last assignment. I assume you found her there ?"  
"Not exactly." Shepars outlined the situation to the Admiral,  
"Commander Shepard, would you be highly offended if I assigned her to the Normandy? It is apparent she has people who want her dead, the Normandy would be a safer option for her. There is one other thing about her that you should know before you agree."  
"Admiral?"  
"You were an orphan, raised yourself on the street?"  
"Yes."  
"Shepard, this woman is your half-sister, you share a mother.  
" Wouldn't i have some idea of that?"   
"No and because of your status she requested the information be kept secret."  
"Is this the only possible conflict Sir?"   
"Yes." Hackett paused "Tell her codes 30, 56 and 309."  
" ok," Shepard thought for a moment " she can join my crew."  
"Thank you, Shepard. Good hunting to you, we all hope you can track down Saren. Hackett out."

Shepard returned to the medical bay with information relayed from Hackett fresh in his mind, he decided to keep Chloe being his sister a secret for now, and focus on the reat.  
"Major Halon, you have been officially assigned to the Normandy's crew, congratulations. " Shepard nodded to the woman who was stunned at the idea "Admiral Hackett gave me codes to pass along: 30, 56 and 308."  
"Oh thank goodness. " Chloe shook her head slightly "I was worried he would tell me not to let you know anything, but it might be of help to your work looking for Saren"   
"How?"   
"I was looking into Binary Helix."   
"If this ends with rachni, we already know."  
"Rachni? But those are extinct?"   
"Not any more." Kaidan supplied "so if not rachni then?"   
"You may have heard that binary helix was involved in the research for Krogan virility?"  
"I…" Shepard paused he had heard about it on the news last time he had been on the citadel." Actually it was on the news last time I was at the Citadel. You were looking into this stuff?"  
"Not directly, but I was looking into anything related to Binary Helix itself , however while I was there I guess I was caught by Saren's agents…"  
Kaidan glanced at Shepard. The same company had been behind the failed Krogan research as behind the Rachni. It was more than strange.  
"The thing is, the study did yield some results." She paused "For some reason Saren has stolen that data; no not stolen but taken it and not revealed it to anyone else."  
"Oh no,"   
"Not only that, but some of those Krogan have also gone missing." Chloe exhaled " Like into thin air, missed by their family missing."   
"How did you get involved with the Krogan?"  
"I did a stint with Citadel Security, I waa tracking other things." She paused now at the end of her discourse "Ah can someone tell me how i came to be here please?" 

The others looked at each other and it was Shepard who finally explained the situation.   
Chloe was stunned, she had no idea how she had gotten into the box other than from the lab she was getting information on.  
“I wouldn’t put it past Saren.” Kaidan said then “It is dangerous to face him on your own.”  
“At least he wasn’t there, I got the impression he had not been for some time but that he drove most of the research with his funding.”  
“Commander, I think our patient needs some time to rest.” Doctor Chakwas intervened.  
“Actually … yes that would be good.” Chloe looked exhausted still, and after everything she had been through it wasn’t much of a surprise.  
“Alright, we can talk later.” Shepard nodded to her “Everyone else out.”  
“Welcome to the crew Major,” Kaidan said as they left.


	2. Stowed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More about Saren and what he was doing with the labs on Noveria, Chloe is finding the Normandy crew is welcoming and Shepard still hasn't told her he knows who she is.

“I really arrived in that box?” Chloe had limped down to the hold in a stubborn display of independence, though Kaidan had followed her to make sure she didn’t fall flat on her face.   
“Yeah, it was a bit of a shock you could say.”  
Chloe was looking at it trying to figure out if she remembered anything when she saw a data disc hidden in the corner.  
“Ah guys, you missed something.”  
“Oh?” Kaidan lifted the disk out of the box “What is this?”  
“I don’t know.” Chloe sounded frustrated “Damn I wish I could remember.”  
“How much information is missing?” Kaidan did his best to not sound concerned but with the threats they were facing, missing time was not a good thing.  
“I recall last Tuesday?” Chloe sighed “I was on radio silence on Noveria, I missed my check-in.”  
“Don’t worry, we will deal with whatever comes.” Kaidan looked down at the data disk with a frown.   
“Do you have a testing system? A computer that isn’t linked to everything else?” Chloe asked concerned “I don’t know what is on that, but I also don’t want to run the risk of it being something untoward. you know that could crash the Normandy or worse.”   
“Sure, I have one i use for testing.” Kaidan offered his arm to help her back upstairs.   
“Thanks, being stubborn is exhausting,” Chloe said in the lift as they waited to go up. “I always forget what it gets me in life.”  
“You remind me of Shepard.” Kaidan laughed “He can be as stubborn as a mule.”  
“I will take that, I have a lot of respect for Commander Shepard.” Chloe smiled slightly “And for you.”  
They arrived at the crew floor and Kaidan led the way to a bank of computers he kept in a section of the deck.   
“Here, let me have a look if that is ok.”  
“Sure, even if it is private journals I trust you.” Chloe sighed leaning heavily against the bulkhead “If only my job let me show that sooner.”  
“How did you end up in that job?”  
“I was good at hiding?” Chloe shrugged “I grew up on the streets, hiding was a gift at times.”  
“Another thing in common with Shepard then.” Kaidan slid the data disk into the computer and turned the screen to Chloe so she could see without having to move again.  
“Huh.” Chloe looked at the screen “well.”  
“It did ping as a spy programme.” Kaidan pointed at some test markers on the screen “But it also has some kind of journal on it?”  
“Here, let me.” Chloe input a code into the system and the start of a journal appeared on the screen.  
“Ah…” Kaidan looked over at her but Chloe shook her head.   
“It’s fine. I think this is the missing days.”  
“Well, I guess we can find out what happened.” They both fell silent as they read over Chloe’s words from the past week.

‘Stole a data disk with info on it from the krogan experiments, so I am adding this because if they catch me, I may need more information on what happened. Firstly I missed my check in on Tuesday. Usually, that means they will send someone after me but in this case, I hope they don’t - this place is messed up. There are Rachni in the labs, and some kind of experiment for a bio weapon, as well as this stuff on the Krogan. I need to get some kind of info to Shepard, he needs to know Saren was backing this too.’ 

I am now stuck in the freaking labs, some turian and salarian bloods were brought in for testing and I took a sample but now I am trapped here. Pretty sure they will find me, I don’t even know what I am dealing with yet. 

Hiding in a crate that is meant to be shipped off… someone is coming.”

“That’s where it ends? I suspect I was found.”Chloe looked bothered by the fact it didn’t actually help any “The data won’t help most people, unless you are looking to cure the genophage or something.”  
“We can keep it anyhow.” Kaidan nodded “Sorry it didn’t help. What is the spy program though?” He typed several more strokes into the computer, and came up with a diagnostic display. “Hm. I need Garrus to see this.”  
“I can wait here?” Chloe looked tired.   
“ Why don’t you go lie down in the med bay?”  
“Ok. That might be a better idea.”she gave a half grin “You are really good at computer stuff huh?”  
“Yeah was always interested in technology.”   
“It suits you… “ Chloe started to say then stopped “ah it’s useful that is. Sorry. I am not very good at protocol, let alone serving on a ship, I have worked solo since I got my N7 ranking.”  
“Another one like Shepard?”  
“Nah, I got pegged for it from very little actions, nothing noteworthy, I am not a hero.” she brushed off the similarity “Though I don’t mind being compared to Shepard, he is a legend in the marine corp, I don’t think I measure up to him at all.”  
Chloe gave a weaker smile to that, there was something she knew that she didn’t want to tell. A reason why every time she was likened to Shepard it stung and her ability to smile through it was limited.  
“Are you in pain?” Kaidan asked concerned   
“Some, to be expected after everything.”She downplayed it.   
“Let’s get you back to Doctor Chakwas, we can continue later if you want to find out more about that spyware.”  
“Yeah whatever you find.” she nodded as he helped her sit back onto the bed in med bay, and Doctor Chakwas came over concerned.  
“You have overdone things.” the Doctor stated shaking her head “what is it with marines and ignoring the doctor.”  
“Sorry. I have paid the price for my stubbornness,” Chloe yawned “Now I just want to sleep.”

Kaidan headed down to see Garrus in the hold and discuss the program they had found on the data.  
“Hey Garrus, have you ever seen a program like this?”  
“Hmm.” Garrus took the datapad that Kaidan had cleaned of anything important except the one program from the disk that Chloe had bought on board. “Where did you get this?”  
“Just let me know if you recognise it?”  
“It’s council encryption I can tell you that much.” Garrus kept reading over it “Oh that’s clever… we need Tali.”  
“Oh?”  
“There is a lot hidden here Kaidan, let's just get the expert.” Garrus nodded to the engine room “She’s usually in there, grab her and get her back here.”  
Kaidan nodded and headed to the engine room while Garrus muttered over the datapad some more. Tali was more than happy to go see Garrus about the data pad, and Kaidan was able to get back to his actual job on the ship for a while. 

“Joker, tell Wrex and Ash to suit up and we need to head to the planet.” Shepard rounded the corner and stated “Kaidan, Have you found any more information on Chloe’s disk?”  
“You heard about that already?” Shepard seemed to know every little thing that went on and more, what they thought about every little thing, even though he often came by to talk.   
“Yeah, Garrus and Tali were talking very loudly.” Shepard shrugged “I was cleaning my gun.”  
“Ok then… not yet, still looking into the details of the disk.”  
“Ah, well, let me know. Heading to deal with the scientists who have yet to report in.”Shepard sighted “Someday it will be a good reason like our coms went out, but today, I have a bad feeling.”  
“Sorry Shepard.” Kaidan felt that their missions seemed to often end in the negative. “I guess someone needs to find the answers to these things.”  
“And they trust me to do it.” Commander Shepard nodded with a slight grin “Not to mention, I don’t really mind the death defying heroics thing - I guess that is in my file.”  
“Likely Shepard, very likely.”   
“I want you to try and work with Chloe, see if she is mission ready once that foot of hers heals. I want to see what she is like in the field.”  
“Oh. Ok - the foot might take a while.”  
“Yeah Doctor Chakwas said the same thing, it’s fine, we still have a lot to go to search for Saren; and we need all the help we can get.” With that serious statement Shepard turned and headed for the hold, ready for a drop to the planet in the mako.

“Did I hear correctly… “ Chloe wandered over after Shepard left  
“Eavesdropping Major?”  
“Ahem, not intentionally, is he always so sure of himself?”  
“Yeah pretty much. It’s a tight knit crew and he’s always been in charge of himself.”  
“Good to see I guess. Don’t want an N7 who is completely lost on his own ship.” Chloe frowned as she replied more to herself than to Kaidan. “Sorry, did you find anything with the disk after I left?”  
“Garrus and Tali have been going over it, I was about to head down to see them.”  
“Any chance we can get them to come up here instead? I suspect Doctor Chakwas would have my roaming privileges revoked if I left this deck again.”  
“No problem.” Kaidan sighed as he called “Joker!”  
“I heard! Garrus and Tali are on their way up - I wonder when the pilot became everyone’s secretary around here!”  
“Oh he's in a mood.” Kaidan grimaced at Joker’s voice “We can sit down at the mess table while we talk.”  
Garrus and Tali made their way up from the hold still talking excitedly.  
“Now I am worried.” Chloe looked at Kaidan.  
“Tali is our biggest Tech geek on the ship, “ Garrus explained. “I am pretty certain she can do anything, after all she extracted a geth memory core by herself.”  
“Ah… Garrus… are you flirting?”Chloe asked.  
“What?” Garrus was incredulous at the idea. Kaidan just laughed.  
“Alright what did you find Tali?”  
“The file was written by a geth. Or by geth since it is never one geth but you get my point.” she placed the datapad down on the table between Chloe and Kaidan “Here, and here you see the signature is weird, it is common in a geth system but not in our own.”  
“Geth?” Chloe closed her eyes “Here I thought I had dreamt that bit up.”  
“What bit exactly?”  
“I fought geth in the lab, but I didn’t think it was real. I guess I thought I was dehydrated and tired and that I was hallucinating.”  
“But you know they were geth?”   
“Yes, exactly like they taught us they looked like in officer school.”  
“OK.” Tali sighed “That means Saren was definitely behind the labs.”  
“What is the purpose of the file?”  
“Data corruption - it was designed to corrupt the data on the Krogan if someone should plug it into a network, and then send a ping as to who and where that someone was.”   
“Saren is covering his tracks.” Chloe sighed “I don’t think this track is going to lead us anywhere to be honest, what would he be doing with the Krogan anyhow?”


	3. Mission Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Chloe near mission ready? What is the relationship between her and Kaidan? Or even her and Shepard?  
> Also geth.

By the time they reached the Citadel again, with her boosted healing and the medi-gel boot, Chloe was ready to go.  
"Your foot has healed nicely." Doctor Chakwas said, "be careful with it for a while."  
"I am so ready to get my replacement gear." She sighed as she followed Shepard and Kaidan onto the station.  
"Been here before?" Shepard enquired as they got into the elevator to go down to c-sec.  
"A few times" Chloe replied, something in her tone made Kaidan think she had not found it a good place.  
"Need to check in with Anderson and Udina, then we can get supplies"  
"Yes Sir."  
They took a car to the presidium, to find the office of the human Ambassador. Udina was in his office at his computer, with Anderson pacing nearby.  
"Major Halon." Udina said, narrowing his eyes at the woman. " why are you here?"  
Major Halon shook her head, stepping to the side to let Commander Shepard through.  
"Shepard. Why are you both here?"  
"Udina." Shepard replied, "you could be more polite to my crew."  
"Crew?" Udina stared at Chloe, his face going several shades of red. Kaidan couldn't help wonder what Chloe had on Udina that made him so concerned.  
"I was assigned to the Normandy crew by Admiral Hackett." Chloe offered, standing at attention.  
"They are here for her equipment slip," Anderson stated coming over and handing a datapad to Shepard. "This is not an issue you should be concerned with Udina."  
"Fine. Fine," Udina sat down again and muttered "who put them in the same crew, troublemakers, they should be separated. "  
Chloe's lips twitched but she managed to hold it until they got outside.  
"Heh" she covered her mouth "that guy is crazy."  
"You met him before?"  
"Yeah, I guess I annoyed him some. "

They made their way to the provisions store.  
"Here, Chloe, let me get you some upgrades." Shepard offered " I can use my spectres access."  
"That would be awesome, thank you, Sir."  
"What happened to your armor and weapons before? Kaidan asked as they moved through c-sec to requisitions.  
"Noveria frowns on people taking stuff in with them." Chloe said quietly " they confiscated my gear, and it's got a bit of disaster going on with the geth, plus we were well away when you found me."  
"True enough."  
Getting a full set of gear does not run cheap, but Shepard just grinned and waved her away.  
"Let your brother sort you out." Patrick said without thinking before hastily adding"A brother in arms I mean, a fellow marine trying to make sure your gear is up to snuff."  
"Thank you, sir." Chloe's voice sounded odd to Kaidan but he shrugged it off. Maybe later he could ask about it but for now, they had some time while they waited for the Normandy to take on fresh supplies.  
"Let's go find some food?" Kaidan suggested, Chloe, his fellow biotic nodded at the idea. Shepard hesitated.  
"I have some other stuff to do first, meet you at Flux on the wards."  
"Yes sir." 

Flux was near the markets in the wards, and this time the car let them out closer to Chira's den.  
"Interested in that stuff?" Chloe asked nodding towards the sign.  
"Too loud, too busy, easy on the eye somewhat." Kaidan gave an honest reply,  
"I see, I don't like the noise really either but...ow"  
A man had gripped her arm, she spun the guy around and had her knee on his back before looking to see who it was.  
"Finch."  
"Let go, crazy bitch, all I did was grab your arm. You and Shepard way too jumpy."  
"Kaidan meet a low life from my past. Finch, why are you here?" She didn't let him up quickly, instead, she tightened her grip before backing off entirely.  
"Man you look good though, little Chloe, does your boyfriend here know what you were…?"  
"What do you want Finch?" Chloe narrowed her eyes, but Kaidan sensed she was also afraid of this guy. Fear was not the normal reaction when you could obviously kill the guy with your bare hands, there was a sense of history here.  
"Heh" Finch laughed "She hasn't told you has she?"  
"One more time, what do you want?"  
"From you, nothing," the man was all spite now, he took a few steps towards Chloe "Maybe I should just show him,"  
Kaidan moved closer to Chloe, instinctively trying to make sure she was safe.  
"Then maybe leave her alone?" Chloe was amazed to see him enveloped in his biotics, she had always found him attractive, more so right now as he defended her.  
"Fine," the guy grumbled, backing off, throwing up his hands, and going towards Chora's den.  
Kaidan was still sparking when he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the alleyway behind the market.  
"You ok?" Kaidan asked as he pulled her into a corner away from view,  
"I am. I think. " Chloe was shaking a little bit, she turned to look at Kaidan, his eyes still bright with adrenalin and biotic rush.  
"You think?" He was very close to her.  
"I will be." She murmured looking at his mouth for a second before kissing him, he responded in kind, and as it faded they stared at each other breathless.  
"Sorry." Chloe exhaled "I don't want…to complicate.."  
"I.." Kaidan sighed "yeah."  
"I like you." Chloe said in a rush " Don't imagine for a second that I don't want to… if you only knew."  
"Am I causing trouble for you?" Half serious half flirting.  
"Kaidan," her voice caught. "You deserve better than me, I have too many secrets. Plus the regs will cause us both trouble."  
"Ok." He exhaled but didn't move away, he was still standing with his arm on the bulkhead above her. "Will you consider that I'd like to get to know you more?"  
"Yes." She nodded " I'd like that."  
"We need to meet Shepard but…"  
"So let's go before that becomes a problem," she ducked under his arm and led the way up the steps. 

Shepard was sitting in Flux watching people dance with a half-smile on his face,  
"Sorry, we are late." They slid into seats and waved at the girl for ordering.  
"It's fine." Shepard looked at them, both flushed from rushing but also something else, " Everything ok?"  
" Yes." They eyed each other with a little guilt and Shepard could already see the interest on Kaidan's face, Well he wondered how Kaidan would go if he knew Chloe was actually a Shepard too. He had been busy looking into that connection and the blood from the knife,  
"Oh. I got your knife sorted out Chloe." She nodded  
"We can talk about it back on the ship." She suggested, looking around pointedly " aside from resupply is there any other business on the Citadel sir?"  
"You sound like it isn't a good place for you?"  
"It isn't. I am not really a fan of politics and stuff."  
"Well, I don't imagine anyone is,"  
Their food arrived and they ate in silence for a moment.  
"Lieutenant Chloe Hadol…?" turning around they saw a turian diplomat who was excitedly waving.  
"There is also that," Chloe sighed, it was hard to hide when people knew you  
"Major now," Chloe said, greeting the turian with a nod.  
“Oh, Congratulations.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Did you finish your N7 training?”  
Given that Chloe was wearing N7 insignia on her shirt, she exhaled and nodded.  
“I did. You really don’t need to ask me twenty questions you know. I don’t work for C-sec anymore.”  
“Is this your crew now?” He gestured to Shepard who had stood up and walked over behind Chloe. “You look like family.”  
“It’s a tight-knit crew, yes.” Shepard answered, ignoring the shake of the head from the turian “And we are on active duty, so we must go sorry.”  
Shepard led the way out of Flux and to a waiting car to go to the dock.  
“Well that was interesting, he was not exactly helpful when I was working with c-sec either,” Chloe commented as they entered the lift to head to the Normandy again. 

Back on the Normandy, they prepared to travel to the Faros colony, Chloe managed to sort out her gear and get everything in working order. Ashley offered to calibrate her guns for her and run the mods so that she didn't have to work so hard.  
“You ran the blood from Chloe’s knife, Shepard?”  
“Yeah pulled some Spectre rank. You were right to be worried.”  
“Oh?”  
“It was Saren’s blood, the turian sample anyhow.” he paused “it was an antibodies test but I don’t know for what purpose exactly.”  
“I guess we will find it out.” Kaidan replied thinking “What about the other samples?”  
“Salarian pinged up as a sealed profile so possibly STG and the Krogan was one of the missing ones that Chloe mentioned.”  
“Feels like signs pointing somewhere. We need to keep going.”  
“Yeah, whatever this leads to.”  
“Faros? They said there was geth there?”  
Shepard nodded and sighed “I just know it's going to be another craptastic place.  
With a lot of dead.”  
“Here is hoping we can avoid that.” Kaidan replied, “You do generally save more people than you kill Shepard.”

Faros started well, as they docked and nothing particularly terrible happened. Kaidan, Chloe, and Shepard had decided to head to Zhu’s Hope the main colony nearest the spaceport when they were accosted by one of the colonists.  
“Welcome to Zhu’s Hope. You must report to Fai Dan”  
“Tell me about the Colony…?”  
“Fai Dan will answer your questions. Report to him.”  
In the next few seconds, geth launched an attack, and the man was killed.  
“That escalated quickly,” Chloe said, taking cover before throwing a biotic attack at a geth who dared peek out of theirs.  
“It always does with geth,” Shapard replied, taking up a position with his gun. Kaidan pulled and Shepard shot, they had worked together for some time and it was a beautiful to watch, n sync performance. Chloe felt a stab of jealousy but ignored it - she would find her rhythm and it had been a while since she had worked with anyone.  
“Charger incoming.” She called switching to her shotgun, which seemed to surprise both Kaidan and Shepard - most biotics were ranged, with a few who chose to fight close up, rare that a biotic can switch out like that.  
“What?”  
“Will ask later,” Kaidan assured her as she turned and shot the charging geth. The fight continued until they were nearly on top of the settlement.  
“Gods, these guys have been fighting forever.” Chloe stared at the damage and the injured being tended to where they fell. “I hope we can help them.”  
“We have geth in the tunnels, need food, need water, need power..” Fai Dan sighed “But you are a welcome sight Commander.”  
“A little late though.” His second said grumpily.  
“Pardon?” Chloe asked  
“We asked for help ages ago, you are late.”  
“We will help you, but we were not sent for that purpose.” Shepard replied, “I didn’t know about any distress calls.”  
“Damn it…” the woman swore under her breath as though they had caused her great pain. Chloe glanced at Kaidan surprised. Was it always like this? Trying to help the ungrateful?  
“Geth!” the cry went up again and they took position before pushing them back and charging into the tower forcing the geth to retreat. "Ok lets head back and see what we can do.” Shepard led the way back to the colonists. There was something odd about the place, like an indistinguishable smell or something she couldn’t quite put her finger on but Chloe felt that half of their interactions were in fact dodging facts and something else. “We will need you to kill the Alpha Varren,” one of the men in the colony said, “it will make it easier to hunt varren again when the geth are gone.” Varren? Chloe had to wonder, though she supposed a varren burger would be worth hunting for them, she had no idea if it would continue to be a sustainable thing for a community though. She had hoped they were able to get further out in the buildings and find better resources once the geth were dealt with. They asked around some more of the camp and found out what was required for power and water as well. Shepard started to outline the plan to go further into the ruins, find whatever transmitter the geth had, and find the supplies the colonists needed. Their planning was interrupted by a yell from the med bay which surprised all of them into moving towards it. “Is everyone ok in here?” “Yes, my wife, she isn't used to how things are yet.” “How ‘things are”?” Shepard asked confused by the awkward phrasing. “Ah, you know with the geth attacks.” Accepting that but still being confused they exited the building and moved off to chase down the leads they had concerning water, power, varren and the transmitter.


	4. Mission Started: Feros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission on Feros is a bit complicated so far, but handling the get is something they are used to.
> 
> Chapter warning: mentions of abuse/sexual abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have taken liberties in inserting this character into the Mass Effect game world but I am trying to keep the flow similar to the game, in that they are doing the things they are doing.  
> Krogan mentions all based on slips of knowledge from the game.

“How come you switch between vanguard and sentinel?” Kaidan asked in the interval between fights while Shepard was looking for the buttons for the water flow.  
“My implant was modified.” Chloe said, “It used to be easily picked up by scanners looking for weapons and the like and I needed some protection; the modification let me work with different abilities.”  
“I see. How long ago did you have that changed?”  
“Ah… about five maybe six years ago?”  
“You must have been a teenager.,” Shepard said to her surprise.  
“We are the same age, Shepard.”  
“That… explains some things I suppose.” He quickly masked his surprise. “Something to talk about later, more geth ahead.”  
“There is always more geth,” Chloe replied, Kaidan looked between the two of them, his eyebrow raised as the concept of them being the same age made sense to him.  
They made it through the process of restarting the water lines to the colony and ran into a strange man who appeared to be having fits.  
“Whatever you do here, do it quickly.” His warning before he twitched again “Or you will be stuck here.”

“Well he was a cheery soul.” Chloe looked up from where she was tracking prints in the mud “Varren this way.”  
“Tracking skills as well Chloe?” Shepard asked  
“Yeah, you have to do everything yourself in solo missions, so I picked up a bit here and there of outlandish skills to use. Never know when knitting could come in handy on an expedition.”  
“Knitting?”  
“On one trip, I had to go undercover as a granny?”  
“I see.”  
“Things are complicated if you want intelligence, and the Alliance doesn’t really want to pay information brokers for it.”  
“Would it help you if they did?”  
“No, aside from weird stuff, like on Noveria, most of my work is entertaining and easy enough.”  
“But you are an N7.” Kaidan pointed out “Obviously seen enough action.”  
“Yes I have, nothing like Shepard however, just small stuff that all ended up being enough points in the right person's eyes to send me through N school.”  
“You make it sound like I was having fun during the Blitz,” Patrick said opening a door “heads up. Varren.”

They dealt with the Alpha Varren and Kaidan grabbed the batteries from some old cars.  
“These batteries should do their power too.”  
“Good thinking Kaidan.” Shepard nodded. “This place is a ruin, right? It was Prothean?”  
“I think so?” Chloe replied, “It looks like someone torched the planet with a laser.”  
“Yeah melted. Shepard?” Kaidan noticed the man had stopped moving and was running his hand over his head.  
“Damnit, that vision… it’s like the meaning is right on the tip of my head but I can’t seem to place it.”  
“Liara said you needed more information to understand it?”  
“Yeah.” Shepard sounded frustrated “It does not stop it frustrating me, it’s like having a word just… disappear when you want it.”  
“Vision?” Chloe asked coming back.  
“On Eden Prime, there was an intact Prothean beacon.” Kaidan began to explain “Ashley got really close to it and Shepard saved her, but it triggered.”  
“And burned something… a vision? Message.. ? into my mind.” Shepard finished,  
“Are you okay?” Chloe asked, her concern overriding her need for protocol and to avoid referencing him as her brother. “Just as well we have stubborness bred in our genes.”  
“Wait.. that’s it…” Kaidan looked at them “you two are siblings?”  
“Ok…” Shepard sighed looking at the two biotics in front of him and realizing it had been a while since food “I was hoping to have this conversation elsewhere, but both of you need to eat now. Let's talk here.”  
They sat on a ramp in the middle of the Prothean ruins, talking about how Shepard had the imprint from the beacon. The two biotics had a couple of the ration bars and something to drink with it; just water but it made the bars edible.  
“You looked into me being related to you?” Chloe frowned as she asked “I told Hackett because it was going to come up if they did a DNA swab.”  
“You know only part of it then.” Shepard replied by pulling up something on his omni tool.  
“Here look.”  
There on the omni tool was two sets of DNA, both sets seemed similar, and yet slightly different.  
Chloe shook her head, she had trouble reading those kinds of charts, actually she was better at copying data than interpreting it - something about the math had always been an issue.  
Kaidan on the other hand was bug eyed as the implication began to dawn on him.  
“You are twins.” He exhaled “non-identical twins.”  
“Oh.” Chloe gasped, causing both men to look at her “I only knew we shared a mother.”  
“How did you know that?”  
“I met her.” she closed her eyes and shook her head “She was just a kid when we were born, she told me she remembered holding you, but did not remember me - they took us off her when we were days old.”  
“What was she like?” Shepard leant over towards Chloe curiosity flickering in his blue eyes  
“She was a street kid Shepard, like we were. She was dying when I met her.” Chloe looked down, now Kaidan could see why he felt they were similar, their eyes were a close match, noses, eyebrows, the way that they sighed when frustrated.  
“I never thought we were twins because of the way she said it, she didn’t know who our father was, or what he was or anything really. I really hoped… for a connection but all I found was a broken woman - she had been doing drugs and drinking a lot.”  
“I always thought she was a drug addict,” Shepard replied, to his credit there was no bitterness or anger, it was just a fact.  
“She was, but…” Chloe sighed, Kaidan would hear her story eventually maybe now, in the dust and dirt of the ruins as good as anywhere. “I had expected that, since the gangs use women. They used her - the same way they used me.”  
“Used you?” Kaidan asked, recalling Finch and the creep's behaviour towards her.  
“Um,” Chloe looked anywhere but at the two faces in front of her “they have a very good hand in the red light district, and any female is expected… to serve there once they are fifteen.”  
“But that’s …” Kaidan gasped.  
“Yeah it is. Fifteen is underage, but that's a niche market.” Chloe played with a pebble by her foot “being on the street is dangerous for a girl they are expected at a certain age to be turning tricks, doing drugs, and so on; and if they are not prostitutes, they are expected to do favours for people so they can get anywhere. To some degree men are lucky. I learned to fight on the streets but I couldn’t overpower someone like Finch back then.”  
“Finch accosted you as well?”  
“Yes. Why?”  
“He tried to make me use my spectre status to get a red out of turian prison.” Shepard shook his head “you know they have become a human first group?”  
“Terrorists.” Chloe said coldly “I heard they had arrested a human, had no idea it was because of that, or that it was connected to the reds.”  
“I am guessing you have no issue with Aliens then?”  
“No, I have worked with a few, even pretended to be married to one - that was a complex assignment.”  
“Back to the topic at hand: if you are twins, why is your name different?”  
“Because I had no name,”Chloe replied, finally just flicking the pebble away. “No birth certificate or ID either, so when I signed up, I made one up. Shepard was her name too,”  
“It was?”  
“Yeah it’s how I found out you were a big shot, I had been using Halon for a few years by then.”  
“Would you want to change it?” Kaidan asked  
“I was never really worried, always figured I would change it if I got married or something. Or found a better name? Nothing wrong with Shepard as a name, but if it means people confuse me for … my brother… then.”  
“Feels weird doesn't it?” Patrick smiled at her “To have a family after not having anyone for so long.”  
“Yeah. It does.” She took a last sip of the water before packing it back in her bag.”Kaidan… please don’t talk about this with people? So far no-one has twigged and I would think it is better this way.”  
“I will have to tell Hackett.”  
“Ok.” Chloe nodded “It might take me awhile to get used to not being on my own, both as family and… as a soldier.”  
“Well the Normandy is lucky to have you.” Kaidan offered “Both of you - even luckier I think now I know you are related and I am not going crazy because I keep seeing similarities.”  
“You did?” Shepard asked slowly, getting up and stretching so they could keep fighting.  
“Yeah.”  
“I know you kept asking me…” Chloe laughed, “ lets get moving, i think I will feel better once we get those people safer.”

When they got to the transmitter, it wasn’t geth that greeted them, though they had already fought some of those on the way in. It was Krogan.  
“More Krogan? Think these are indoctrinated?”  
“Or just mercs, Wrex told me a lot of his people will fight for any fight just as long as they get paid.” Shepard said “I think it might be related though, especially since they seemed to be focused on protecting geth equipment.”  
Chloe shot the transmitter with a sense of glee, and they turned around to head back the way they had come.  
“Geth!” Kaidan yelled ducking behind a solid chunk of stone. “So many of them!”  
“I wonder what they are after?”  
“Something.. Definitely something.” Chloe frowned “There must be something weird at Zhu’s hope.”  
“Answers will be at exo-geni’s headquarters.”  
“Let’s head back and let Fai Dan know about the transmitter, and the rest of them about the varren and such.” Shepard suggested “Then we can head out across to the Exo-geni headquarters.”  
They made it back and reported in with no problems, and then having secured directions they headed for the exogeni headquarters.  
“Picking up something on the scanner.” Kaidan said “Radio chatter?”  
“Sounds like another base?”  
“More people is a good sign.” Shepard said “Lets stop and see what they know.”  
“Shouldn’t we focus on the geth?”  
“We should but we can’t go in blind either.” Chloe added “I think stopping and asking is good.”  
“Well, I think we just established who would ask for directions and who would insist they knew the way.” Shepard laughed “C’mon Kaidan, stopping will help in the long run.”  
“Yeah I guess.”  
They stopped, and once down the ramp came face to face with a room full of scientists and guards.  
“Stop right there!”  
“They obviously are not geth Jeong…. Ignore him, welcome, I’m Julianna.”  
“I am here to deal with your geth problem?”  
“See, I told you.” she shook her head at the other man “You will find them in the main building for Exogeni.”  
“Don’t touch anything else when you are over there, soldier!”  
“I am hardly interested in corporate secrets…” Shepard sighed, shaking his head, already aware that the so called secrets are likely what the geth are there for. Though what and why are still unknown.  
"Please find my daughter Lisbeth, Lisbeth Baynham while you are there?"  
"Ok."  
"I'm sure we will have time to find our casualties…" Jeong responded  
"She's alive. "  
"If she's there i will find her." Exhaling Shepard turned to look around at the others there " Anyone else?"  
"Um, if you can, retrieve my data please."  
"I seem to be going there anyhow." Shepard replied trying to not sound exasperated.  
“Why don’t you get it yourself? “Chloe enquired curiously.  
“Because it’s dangerous over there…” the scientist replied  
“Why don’t people have any issue sending us into danger?” Kaidan muttered just loud enough for Shepard and Chloe to hear. 

They piled back into the mako and headed for the headquarters.  
“There are geth on our scanners, below us?”  
“Below?” Shepard frowned looking at Kaidan “You sure?”  
“Look, entrances, must have been a walkway under the road.” Choe gestured to the narrow space between an upper and lower road, where a doorway was revealed.  
“Let's get rid of those geth.”

They fought their way along the roadway, stopping and starting where geth showed up on Kaidan’s scanner, until they reached a large door which blocked their path.  
“I guess we found the headquarters.” Shepard stated, pushing a dead geth away from the front of the vehicle. “Let’s get in and see what is what shall we?”  
They managed to fight the geth and hack their way into a room.  
“So Chloe…” Kaidan started  
“You want to ask me something?” Chloe sounded amused.  
“Well yes but..”  
“You start all your questions the same way, but go ahead, I was just amused.”  
“Ok.” Kaidan coughed “How do you hack things when you are so bad with numbers and charts?”  
“I was always good with computers and pattern recognition.” she replied “Hacking is just advanced pattern recognition.”  
“Heh never thought of that.” Kaidan ducked down as he saw the room ahead. “Shepard get down.”  
“Geth… a large one...geth armature.”  
“It’s sleeping?”  
“We got this. Just take it easy..”  
“Throw something at it and wake it up.” Kaidan suggested, “Then keep to cover.”  
“Well ok.” Shepard lined up and threw some grenades at the beast.  
“Look out.” the geth turned its attention on the three humans as Kaidan fired off biotic blast after blast, and Chloe followed with her own the geth was unable to keep shields up and Shepard was able to snipe it down.  
“I hate those things.” Chloe said coming out of cover and kicking it to make sure it was dead. “And this room is a dead end.”  
“Still worth getting rid of it, hate to imagine one of the science teams finding it.”  
“True enough.” Chloe agreed “So let's go the other direction.”

They made it the other way, and found a force field.  
“Well it’s the right direction alright but this… “  
“We are going to need more firepower than what we have..” Kaidan replied “There has to be another way.”  
“I saw a ledge leading down?” Chloe pointed a little back where they came “We can get down where the ground slopes.”  
They walked down to find another road way underneath.  
“I wonder how big this place is.” Kaidan asked as they began to leave the cover of the side room.  
“Someone is here, dead varren..” Chloe said pointing. No sooner had she spoken, then a single shot rang out hollowly in the space.  
“Hey watch it…” Kaidan’s kinetic shield fluctuated as it deflected the single shot.  
“What are you doing?” Chloe and Shepard asked in unison.  
“Sorry!” a young woman stood in a corner awkwardly holding a gun, “I wasn’t sure what you are…. “  
“Let me guess, Lisbeth Baynham?” Kaidan did not seem too worried about being shot, and Lisbeth nodded when he said her name.  
“How do you know my name?”  
“We met your mother.” Shepard replied, taking over “She wanted us to bring you back there.”  
“Oh. Well. We can’t get out because of the forcefield.”  
“So how do we turn that off?”  
“I think it is coming from the geth ship.” Lisbeth replied “It isn’t powered by the building.”  
“What are they after?” Shepard asked “The geth are after something.”  
“I… “ Lisbeth glanced around herself uneasily “I don’t know.”  
“Ok we will figure out how to shut down the forcefield. Will you be ok here?”  
“Yes I think so. Oh.” she took off her name tag and handed it to Shepard “You might be able to use this, to get past closed doors.”  
“Thanks. Try and stay safe.” Shepard uttered the words as a mob of varren attacked.

Once the Varen were dealt with they crossed over the causeway and made their way to the inside of the building.  
“Stupid machine…” They could hear a Krogan upstairs almost kicking the VI that was for the exogeni computers. “Tell me what i want to know..”  
The attempt lasted several minutes before the VI stated:  
“Please move away from the terminal, as there is now a queue behind you.”  
They dealt with the Krogan, who was not pleased to see them.  
“More Krogan.” Chloe muttered kicking over the body with a frown “No merc markings.”  
“Hm. Maybe a more intelligent outside hire?”  
“Maybe.”  
“Or an independent like Wrex…” Shepard mused. “I know you are thinking about the data you found, but we don’t have any other proof or reason for thinking someone can actually cure the genophage.”  
“You are right, but I still don’t like the odds of Krogan working for Saren.” she shook her head and turned to the VI, “Use that girls’ access card to get information.”  
This was the point at which they learned about the Thorian, a sentient plant.  
“A… sentient plant..” Shepard asked slowly, making sure he had all the details.  
The VI then went on about how Zhu’s hope was the control group and how the spread of it’s control was doing fine until the monitors went off.  
“Wait… Zhu’s Hope is… mind controlled by a plant?” Chloe asked staring at the VI, not exactly sure what she had surmised.  
“I am guessing so.”  
“Wow. We should probably tell Joker this as soon as possible - aren’t they parked there?”  
“Filters will block anything new…” Kaidan started to say then stopped “You know what, Shepard, we should contact Joker…”  
“No such luck” Shepard said after trying, “Damn Geth.”  
“Alright gotta get rid of the geth.” Kaidan turned and considered the VI again.  
“How do we get rid of the force field?”  
“It is coming from the geth ship.” the VI replied.  
“Maybe if we dislodge the ship somehow…” Chloe started to say  
“Then we will get rid of the geth and the force field.. Nice thinking, but how?”  
“Going to have to go see what we are facing.” Kaidan added “Let's head there and see?”  
They fought more geth on the way over to the side of the building where the ship was lodged into the framework.  
“Well.” Shepard said after they cleared the room “These claws are a lot bigger than I thought they would be.”  
“We don’t have the weapon power to deal with it.” Kaidan agreed.  
Meanwhile Chloe had wandered over to another part of the room and was frowning looking at what appeared to be an altar in a church - except made of metal.  
“I … think these geth are religious.”  
“Oh? Weird stuff…” Kaidan agreed before looking around some more. “Has to be some way…”  
“Let's go over the steps there, see what we find.” Shepard added “You never know, some of these anchor points look like doors.”  
As it turned out, not repairing their stuff working in the favour of getting rid of the geth, a broken door control applied enough force to crack one of the claws and the rest unhooked in unison.  
“Well that was effective.” Kaidan said looking up. “Back to Lisbeth and get her to tell us what is going on with the Thorian.”  
“Let me grab that data too.” Shepard sighed, “At least then it’s done and he doesn't have to risk coming here.”  
“You are way too nice sometimes Shepard…” Kaidan shook his head following behind. They fought more Krogan and again the Krogan didn’t have the merc uniforms.  
“Not Blood Pack or ..” Chloe was muttering, “possibly freelancer mercs but too… too something isn't right..”  
“Chloe?”  
“Sorry. Feels like my assignment isn’t complete, every time I see these Krogan and they don’t look like they fit in this picture.”  
“Maybe Saren does not trust machines as much as he thinks.” Shepard suggested “that could be why when it comes to finding the information he sends krogan?”  
“Honestly, the geth would be more effective - they can hack their way into almost anything.”

Lisbeth was waiting where they had left her, a few more dead varren but otherwise unharmed; she was however glad to see them.  
“Thank the stars!” she said “You got rid of the geth and now we can go back to…”  
“Tell us the truth, Lisbeth, what do you know of the Thorian…?”  
“I… “ Lisbeth sighed “I stayed behind when the others left to try and get a message to colonial affairs but the power went before I could.”  
“So you tried to do the right thing, I get that; but we need to know more about it. That is what the geth are after at Zhu’s hope and what Saren was after.”  
“It’s a sentient life form under Zhu’s hope, it releases spores and has the ability to mind control. That is what Exogeni was researching.”  
“By using colonists?”  
“Yes. It wasn’t right I know that, but they threatened me if I told anyone.” Lisbeth looked helpless “and now the thorian is making it worse.”  
“We can get rid of the thorian.” Shepard stated “Where is it?”  
“Under Zhu’s Hope.” she paused “You have to lift the ship up from where they have it to get to the access.”  
“Of course… that’s why they were guarding the crane controls.” Chloe said “It would allow them to lift or close the access as needed. We can get in that way.”  
“Let’s head back then.” Shepard said pointing to the mako waiting just outside the entrance “Before the geth get back here.”  
“Commander?”the radio buzzed and Jokers voice picked up urgency “Tell me you are there Commander Shepard…?”  
“We are here Joker, what’s going on.”  
“Well. the colonists seem to be clawing at the ship or something, but also you have a ton of geth heading your way.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Lets go.”Kaidan nodded to the others. It helped to know their task and what they were going to do. Surely a little gardening would not hurt anyone?


	5. Mission: Gardening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lovely, geth ridden feros, its a good place to find out who you are, make your stance, and do a spot of gardening.  
> {reminder this is my nanowrimo and as such is not edited or polished as yet.. give me time after November]

The thorian and all it had done played on Chloe's mind as Shepard tore back towards Zhu's Hope. It made sense of what the lone guy up near the amenities building had told them.  
"Ah cripes." Chloe finally said "How many spores, how long…"  
"Was thinking the same things." Kaidan admitted.  
"Don't worry. It takes weeks." Lisbeth assured them before adding "usually."  
"You really suck at reassurance."  
"Sorry."  
They fell silent as Shepard navigated the uneven ground.  
"Guns please." He muttered when finally they hit geth.  
Kaidan obliged and Chloe kept watch on their rear. Lisbeth stared at the three of them in awe.  
"What's wrong?" Ksidan asked concerned at her expression once they took down the remaining geth.  
" You are all so calm." Lisbeth responded.  
"Have to be," Shepard replied, " No good being a mess in combat, also we have seen worse."  
"Worse?"  
"You don't really want to know."  
Rachni. Krogan. Geth. What would removing a small plant do? Chloe's thoughts ticked over.  
"Can anyone hear me? This is Julianna Baynham...we need help...please.."  
"What is that?"  
"Radio message." Kaidan replied focused on cleaning the signal up.  
"Please help us, this is Julianna Baynham…"  
"Get her away from there.."  
"Thats my mother!" Lisbeth gasped "Stop the vehicle."  
Shepard stopped, mostly because Lisbeth almost had the door open. She took off at a run. The other three followed her closely.  
"Step away from the transmitter Julianna …" Jeong of course. He had sounded like he was losing it before, now he was waving a gun around and it didn't look good.  
"Take her away."  
"Get away from my mother!!" Lisbeth leapt out of cover and without a thought launched herself past heavily armed guards and towards her mother, blowing any chance of surprise they might have had.  
“Out where I can see you. All of you.” The man now looked like he had gone crazy. “Shepard, I did a little research on you. We don’t need anyone being heroic today.”  
“Jeong you can’t just flush colonists away.” Julianna was saying.  
“Be quiet!” Jeong yelled, then dropped his voice “ I need to think, headquarters has given me a very clear set of instructions, to end the colony, and save the…”  
“Thorian. It’s what Exogeni was hiding, what Saren was after; why the Geth are attacking.” Shepard interjected.  
“The what?” Julianna was surprised, at least that meant not all the scientists here were complicit in the situation at Zhu’s Hope.  
“Thorian… it’s a sentient plant underneath Zhu’s Hope…” Lisbeth told her mother “I tried to report it… I… failed the colonists…”  
“Don’t start Lisbeth, you do good work.” It was refreshing to see a mother be kind to her child in a stressful situation.  
“Exogeni wants me to get rid of all of you.” Jeong added.  
“That won’t be necessary.” Shepard interjects again.  
“But…” Jeong draws a gun on Shepard, which is a bad idea with two biotics nearby, both Kaidan and Chloe flare up at the threat to their commander, noting the two guards who had stood with their weapons back down entirely.  
“Jeong, don’t do this.”  
“I will… I’m the boss of this department, I can do what is necessary.” Jeong cried waving the weapon around, Shepard narrowed his eyes.  
“Drop the weapon.”  
“No.” Jeong turned then training the weapon on Shepard “The geth should have dealt with you, knew it was too much to hope for.”  
“There are bigger things at stake here Jeong…” Shepard said “Don’t throw your life away just yet.”  
“I need you gone.” He said narrowing his eyes at Shepard lifting the pistol to fire, he did not get a chance of course, Shepard reacted much faster than Jeong could process the desire to kill someone.  
“Idiot.”Kaidan muttered under his breath.  
“We don’t need to be shooting each other in the back.”  
“Move him out of here, the ladies do not need to deal with it.” Shepard said tersely to two guards - the two who had drawn weapons. They nodded and proceeded to remove Jeong's body from the room.  
“What a waste.” Chloe added to Kaidan, “He should have stood down.”  
“Let’s get back to business, we still have to deal with Zhu’s hope.”  
“The Zhu’s Hope people will be on alert now.”Julianna said “The thorian will make sure you have to go through them to reach it.”  
“Shit.” Shepard swore “I don’t want to kill them.”  
“There might be a way…” Julianna replied “A nerve agent we use in some of our experiments.”  
“Not sure I want to be around a nerve agent…”  
“If we use a low enough dosage it won’t affect you, just the colonists who are already compromised.” Lisbeth added to her mother’s idea.  
“As a payload in a concussion grenade it might work.” Kaidan informed Shepard “It would make sense to at least try.”  
“All right, we will try it.” Shepard nodded as they went to work preparing the ordinance for the task.  
“Oh by the way” He turned and walked over to the programmer who sat to the side in the whole proceedings, “I have your data.”  
“My data!” the man seemed overjoyed “Thank you so very much.”  
“Your welcome.” Shepherds lip twitched, at least someone was amusing here.  
“Ok, the three of us will do our best to spare the colonists. You need to stay here and stay safe.”  
“Ok… we can do that.”  
“Guard them with your lives.” He gestured to the men on the barricade “Harm them and I will find you.”  
“Yes sir, with our lives Sir!” one of them replied he had to be very young for the job but Kaidan couldn’t help being amused.  
“Let’s go.” Shepard shouldered the grenades, deciding if anyone was going to be hit or have to kill colonists it would be on him.

They drove back to Zhu’s Hope with a sense of purpose, deal with the colonists, lift up the ship, get rid of the plant. It couldn’t be that hard.  
After fighting more geth, the first sign they were headed for trouble was the presence of a creepy green figure outside the garage above Zhu’s Hope.  
“What the hell is that?”  
“It’s… green…” Chloe said “And I bet it explodes if we kill it and is poisonous too.”  
“A decent guess.” Shepard agreed as he parked the Mako “It looks like its dormant…”  
As soon as they exited the vehicle however it began to move.  
“Well. Shit.” Shepard sighed.

They fought through the creepers. Shepard managed to launch a single grenade at the colonists on the barricade knocking them out.  
“Have a nice nap.” He muttered as they grabbed the lift down to Zhu’s Hope.  
“This is … “ Chloe shook her head “Are all of your missions so weird?”  
“Most of the time. I think Shepard attracts them.” Kaidan said candidly.  
“Hey now.” Shepard protested a little but Kaidan just grinned.  
“It’s not all bad, certainly makes for good stories, and you get free beer with those.”  
The lift jerked to a halt.  
“More creepers.” Chloe said, awed by the fact the entire area had become infested while they were over at Exogeni. “Exogeni has a lot to answer for.”  
“That they do.” Shepard agreed. “I wonder how many times they have done things like this and not been caught.”  
“Duck!” Kadian yelled before some of the colonists appeared firing on them from behind a barricade. Another grenade, another goodnight from Shepard.  
“So far so good.” Chloe breathed as they killed more Creepers. “Shepard, you have a good arm!”  
“I like to think so. Baseball in the streets is pretty brutal.” he chuckled.

They managed all the way to the crane.  
“Shepard can you operate this thing?” Kaidan asked “Lift up the ship so we can get underneath and …”  
“It wants me to stop you, but I wont.”  
“Faid Dan?”  
“The Thorian wants me to kill you… “ the man looked tired as though he had been fighting the thing in his head forever now. “I was supposed to lead them, but I failed them all.”  
He had a gun in his hand, and was fighting where the thorian was obviously making him point it.  
“I won't do what it asks!” His last act of defiance he shot himself.

Chloe and Kaidan stood there stunned, Shepard, gun drawn stood not far away a sad expression on his face.  
“Another one. What a waste.” Kaidain said giving voice to what they were thinking.  
“Lets go deal with this thing.” Chloe said “Just need to get it out and..”  
They headed down the steps and around a few corners, green algae climbed the walls and seemed to jump when they touched near it. A few pods also lined the sides of the building but it was the Thorian they had come to investigate.  
As they turned the last corner they all stopped in shock.  
“This is going to take some A grade weed killer!” Chloe gasped.  
“Or bigger guns.” Kaidan suggested  
“That’s a plant?” Shepard was amazed.  
Then the plant… threw up.. An asari commando. Or rather a clone of an Asari commando to do the talking for it.  
“You are insignificant beings, you will become food.”  
“That's a great opening line.” Shepard quipped “I am here for what Saren was after.”  
“Saren betrayed his bargain.” the asari stated “So now you will die.”  
“Shit, take cover.” Kaidan called as the asari managed to find a weapon from someplace - and creepers began to pour out of every corner.  
They fought, wounding the thorian at every root it had tucked into the building, and much like the geth ship from earlier it finally let go with a thud. The thorian was dead.  
An alcove nearby revealed a pod containing an asari.  
“My name is Shiala. I guess I should thank you… for rescuing me.”  
“I am Commander Shepard, Shiala, I am after the reason Saren was here.”  
“He came for the memory of the Thorian, for the cypher of prothean knowledge.” she paused “You used the beacon on Eden Prime, Saren was aware of that, so he betrayed the Throian to prevent you from getting the cypher. I melded with the thorian to learnt his.”  
“You gave Saren the cypher though?”  
“Yes. I can give it to you as well but it is through Asari mindmeld.”  
Shepard glanced at Chloe and Kaidan and sighed, there was only one way to do this.  
“Ok. tell me what to do.”  
“Relax Commander.” Shiala breathed looking deep into Shepard’s eyes “Embrace eternity.”  
Moments passed, Chloe and Kaidan were glancing at each other concerned when Shepard and Shiala came back.  
“You have an extraordinary mind Commander Shepard.” Shiala replied. “I have given you the cypher.”  
“Nothing makes sense.”  
“It will take time.”  
“Shepard, are you okay? You look pale?” Kaidan asked concerned “We should get you back to the ship.”  
“Now you are free Shiala what do you intend to do?”  
“I… would like to stay and help the colony. If nothing else, I had a hand in their suffering and I would like a chance to amend that.”  
“That sounds good.” Shepard replied running a hand over his face, he did indeed not feel too well at this point.  
“Commander, I sincerely hope you find Saren and the conduit before it is too late.” Shiala breathed out a sigh “If you need me further I will be with the colony.”

They made it back to the ship, where Commander Shepard sank wearily into a chair.  
“Shepard, you need med bay not a debrief.”  
“I will go after this. It was a hectic ride. How did you go Chloe?”  
“It was.. Different from what I am used to, but you make it look easy, Sir, I am eager to learn my place in your squad.”  
“You already have.” Wrex muttered “Nice entrance though.”  
“Reports are away, Commander, do you want me to call the council?”  
“No point Joker. Let’s just get on with what we need to do.”  
“Med bay Shepard, now.” Kaidan said, quirking an eyebrow at him, “don’t make me drag you there.”  
Chloe admired the easy friendship, she had seen it all day, Kaidan had looked out for Shepard, and Shepard for Kaidan. Chloe who wanted to belong with both of them felt a stab of jealousy - Shepard was her brother, but it felt more like he was a complete stranger too.


	6. Friendship and Beer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making friends is hard work, being open to new possibilities is also a challenge.

"At least marines for friendships faster than most." Alenko was saying to Shepard as Chloe arrived at the mess for lunch.   
"Some at least." She added an edge of sadness to her tone.  
"Some of us are just used to being solo."   
"Sorry Chloe," Kaidan replied looking a little guilty, though she knew he had been keeping his distance since the kiss in the alleyway.  
"Nah don't worry, its nothing just one of those days. How are you feeling now Shepard?"  
"Better thanks."   
"You don't have someone implanting cyphers everyday."  
" I do think I need to speak to Liara." Shepard started to get up from the table. “Don’t forget we are heading to the Citadel today, resupply and some shore leave..”  
" Chloe, do you have time?" Kaidan asked “I want to go over the report for Faros.”  
"Sure." Chloe nodded " Reports are fun.”  
“You have a strange idea of fun.” Shepard smirked, “Leave you two to it.”  
“Allergic to reports Shepard?”Chloe asked a slight teasing tone to her voice “It's always been the part of solo ops I’ve enjoyed. It usually means I am done and can have a beer.”  
“Yet here it is not quite as final.”  
“True.” Chloe grimaced “I am starting to see your point.”  
“Shore leave.” Shepard gave Kaidan a pointed look that Chloe didn’t understand.   
“Yeah I will… just…”Kaidan nodded the private element of the communication done “We will just finish the report first Shepard.”  
“Good. I’m off to talk to Liara to see if she can help me.” Shepard waved to them as he left.

“Did I miss something?” Chloe asked Kaidan as Shepard disappeared around the corner, a semi-triumphant grin on his face.  
“No.” Kaidan’s face was red, so Chloe knew she had indeed missed something.  
“Report?”  
“It’s done, I just wanted your eye on it first.” His tone seemed strange, as he handed over a datapad. Another crew member came into the mess and Kaidan coughed a little.  
“So this is the review of the events on Faros, Corporal, let me know if you find it accurate.”  
“Yes Sir.” She took his queue.   
The datapad was not the report but a note from Shepard to both of them.  
“So I can’t announce this but you have to find a way to wave it under Chloe’s nose, let's catch up on shore leave, there is a small bar hidden from the others down on the Presidium.”  
“Ah Sir, I am not sure if this is correct.” Chloe said, handing the datapad back to Kaidan.  
“Which part?”  
“I don’t know where to go?” she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. The crew member left the mess with their food to go and Chloe sighed in relief.  
“Shepard would not make a good infiltrator.”  
“True…” Kiadan laughed “But he tried to, give him that.”  
“Yes ok, we can catch up.” she glanced at Kaidan who fidgeted.  
“Is there something else Kaidan you have been nervous since I walked into the room, and it wasn't just Shepard shenanigans.”  
“Let’s talk but not here.” He said  
“You know I have an apartment on the citadel right?” She was amused at his expression.  
“I’ve lived there for a few years.”   
“Ok,” he looked down.  
“Is that the wrong thing Kaidan?”  
“No, I mean.. “ he sighed “I am nervous being alone in the same room as you without the consequences that would mean here…”  
“I trust you.” she said quietly pulling up her omnitool and sending him a message from it. “What more can we do, if we talk in public… my brother will find us or ..”  
“Corporal Halon?” Joker’s voice was on the speaker “You are late to a meeting - namely with the flight deck.”  
“Or that.” she said with a sigh, “I will see you at the bar, send me the address.”

Joker was on his own when she arrived and fell into the seat near him.  
“Was that fast enough to stop gossip?” he asked  
“Yes thanks.” she sighed “I had no idea this experience would be so complicated.”  
“You know I don't miss anything right, Shepherds your brother, Kaidan has a crush on you - reciprocated…” Joker trailed off as Chloe began to laugh. “What?”  
“They think they are being so secretive.”  
“Shepard can’t keep secrets.” Joker noted “I am bad in poker, but he… well he likes to head in the front way in situations.”  
“I like to sneak.”  
“Which is how Kaidan has no idea how you feel about him.”  
“But you do?”  
“I can guess.” Joker didn’t even look up “You watch him a lot, you didn’t correct me.”  
“True.” She and Joker had struck up a friendship because she liked to sit up here at night in the dark, the first time she had scared him, the second time he handed her a drink he had stowed here. Joker also kept a blanket, magazines, and pretty much anything anyone would need to camp in the flight deck for the night.  
“Joker…” Chloe began   
“Yes.”  
“What?”  
“Do you have any chance with Kaidan … the answer is yes.”  
“How are you so bad at poker?” She wondered.  
“I gossip, I talk to random people and pick up information.” Joker replied “I inadvertently hear crap because people don’t close com channels; but when it comes to face to face, straight up cards, I apparently have an expressive face?”  
“Yeah you do. Beard doesn’t hide it that much.”  
“Aw man.” he sighed “I grew it in hopes that I might actually have some kind of luck with poker.”  
“Kaidan might be able to teach you. His poker face is good.” she replied.  
“Do you play?”  
“No.” Chloe laughed “Not unless I have to. I do a lot of pattern recognition, remember? Most people consider that cheating.”  
“Oh yeah… does Shepard know about your dyscalculia?”  
“Sort of? I told them I was bad with numbers.”  
“How do you go with clocks..?”  
“Badly. Solo ops Joker, I set my own directions.” Chloe chewed her lip thoughtfully “I was always just able to wing it. I am what one of my psychology advisors referred to as high functioning. It’s not the worst kind of learning disability, especially if you find ways around it”  
“Like patterns. Oh and that's right.” Joker responded like he just remembered something.  
“What?”  
“You studied Psychology. Don’t you have a degree or two?”  
“Ok, now that just says you read through my file?” She was amused, “Yeah a graduate degree in psychology, which i got through hard work mind you.”  
“No criticism.” Joker held up a hand.   
“Sorry.” Chloe sat back in the chair. “I get used to people assuming I had everything handed to me. I’m an N7, Psychology grad, a marine, and I worked damn hard for it. “  
“Yeah I know that feeling.” Joker agreed, the working hard was one other thing they shared.  
“How are you going finding your feet here?”  
“Good I think, the mission is mad… the shore party we did for faros was insane.” she shook her head as if to clear it “Shepard is very calm about everything, I can see why they pegged him for Spectre.”  
“Yeah he’s been like that since before shakedown.”  
“Not bad for a sibling.. “  
“Twin isn't he?”  
“Joker…”  
“You are the same age, Chloe, it doesn’t take a genius, plus you share a lot of traits.”  
“We didn’t grow up together, it doesn’t really feel real to me.”she admitted “Sometimes I think it would be nice but… other times I am so used to being by myself, with my own space that I don’t even know how to act when I have people around me.”  
“You are doing fine.” Joker assured her “Better than most people.”  
“Thanks. Are you going to sleep in here?” she asked.  
“No, I have some pod time. You?”  
“Would you mind?”   
“Nah” Joker shrugged “You want the stars?”  
“Yeah. It helps centre me.” she admitted, turning her head to look out one of the only windows on the Normandy, to see the stars twinkling back.  
“We hit the relay at 05.00, so I will wake you when i get here.”  
“Deal.” Chloe nodded.  
“Here.” Joker handed over a blanket. “Don’t get cold and…”  
“Yeah?”  
“Nah it's ok.” Joker shook his head as he hobbled down to the sleeping pods, there are things he didn’t have to tell anyone. How he felt about Corporal Chloe Halon was one thing- Kaidan had better know how lucky he is.

Joker wasn’t kidding when he said they would hit it at 05.00 - Chloe was poked awake, and quickly folded the blanket and vacated the chair before the assistant pilot slid into her seat.  
“Thanks.” Chloe said to Joker as she left.

“Crew, we have two days downtime, for a resupply and recalibration. Feel free to contact Pressly for more information on accommodation - there is on citadel housing for all crew, please just let us know. Be back here in two days at 08.00 and we will get back to work.” Shepard sounded pleased with himself “Now get moving! Have some fun- that’s an order!”

Chloe smiled to herself a little amused with the whole situation, and glad she had a place to stay. Her omnitool beeped with a message and address to meet Shepard and Kaidan at the bar Shepard had tried to subtly let them know about. She disembarked and saluted the ship, as she headed for the bar. 

It was a little bar, small tables and a few booths, a tired looking Asari stood behind the bar serving drinks.   
“What do you want?” she asked  
“You ok?”Chloe couldn’t help it, the woman looked more than tired.  
“Sorry…” she shook her head “It’s been one of those weeks you know?”  
“Anything I can help with?”  
“I’m not sure” the woman ran a hand over her face.  
“By the way, my name is Chloe Halon.” Chloe smiled at the poor thing.  
“Oh. You have worked with my husband in c-sec then.”  
“Oh? Possibly, I have worked with them a few times now.”  
“Would you talk to him?” Clearly this was the issue which weighed Asari down.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“He didn’t report for work yesterday, or come home from..” she looked pale blue, and Chloe was worried she was going to fall over. “He was investigating some crime in the docks.”  
“I have some friends coming, they might be able to help too, tell me who I talk to in c-sec.”  
Armed with a name, Chloe ordered three beers and sat down. She pulled out her omnitool and began to search through information on the docks.  
“Chloe?” Shepard interrupted her search.  
“Hey, got you a beer.. “ she looked up at him “And maybe a job?”  
“How long were you on the citadel before you found something to do?” Shepard laughed then soberly “What job?”  
“Missing c-sec officer, the lady who runs the bar is his wife.”Chloe tilted her head towards the woman who was now cleaning the benches over and over again.  
“Let me look into spectre info, see if anything comes up.” Shepard said doing the same thing as Chloe and pulling up his omnitool. “My omni tool was upgraded when I became a spectre. I know not all of them have access to everything.”  
“Sorry I am late!” A canadian voice said falling into the seat between them.  
“It’s fine. Got you a beer.” Chloe said, sliding the last one over to Kaidan.  
“And a job…”  
“Job?”Kaidan said  
“Missing c-sec officer, husband of the bartender.” Shepard said in summary.  
“We have to head down to the docks to look.”  
“Blue suns territory - c-sec doesn’t really let them do much down there but they have staked claim to it just the same. Gangs and such really prefer the docks so they can seize their incoming goods.” Kaidan said much to the others' amazement. “Why are you staring?”  
“Because you just said this off the top of your head, while i've been sitting here trying to find any information on it.”  
“And I have just gotten that same info, but required spectre clearance.”Shepard said “Regardless we should go down there tomorrow, during the day.”  
“Yeah they might make known what they are up to in the meantime. I got a program from Tali that hacks into a phone and monitors calls, so I think what I need to do is go home.”  
“Home?” Shepard was surprised.  
“Yes I have an apartment here, it is home.”she shook her head, gave a pointed look at Kaidan, paid for their beers and headed out the door. 

The apartment was near the presidium, as places go the view was beautiful and the complex was designed for long term living, rather than some of the hostels on the wards. Her apartment had been expensive when she bought it, but having saved a lot - a habit from not having any money on the street, she was keen to buy her own home.   
Keying in her code she walked in, it was clean and spacious, all on one floor.. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms.   
As she put her bag down she grinned, there were messages of course some of which were classified - they had been looking for her after all. Then there was one that was not.  
“Chloe Halon, I have the dubious honor of notifying you we have located your biological father.”  
“Shit.” she said out loud, she had forgotten that project, in the middle of finding Shepard, she had done some search for a dna match for her father. Their father. Oh well, it would wait.   
These things had waited 29 years, and if he wasn’t interested in meeting then it was all well and good. 

After she had checked everything she wandered through to the bedroom and dropped her bag on the bed. She quickly sorted things out and put away her clothes, and then stored her gun in the safe box. She changed into a singlet top, and shorts - the temperature control in her house made it easy for her to just be comfortable. She did forget just how figure hugging her clothes were.

Just as she closed the door to her closet with a sense of satisfaction, the doorbell rang.  
She tried not to run to the door, instead forcing herself to walk. Whatever they had to talk about it was important they not rush into anything. 

Kaidan Alenko stooda at her door, he still had his duffle bag as he had not reported into the accommodation as yet.  
“Kaidan!” Chloe grinned “Come in.”  
“Wow this place… I was not expecting it to be so..”  
“Big and expensive looking? I spent a lot on this because it is home.” she smiled as she glanced around “Leave your bag there if you like, want a drink?”  
She handed him a beer, cold from her fridge, and gestured to a stool at the bench in the kitchen.  
“Take a seat, so I can cook something - we need to eat.”  
“Chloe…” Kaidan started to say then stopped and took a large swig of his beer.  
“I thought that if I backed off, I would not feel as intensely protective or …” another swig “As attracted to you as I do.”  
Chloe looked up from cutting a carrot, nearly cutting her finger in the process.  
“What?”  
“I like you.” He shook his head “And with all the rules and regs we have to follow, it isn’t really the best.”  
“Joker told me….” she shook her head now, continuing to cut the food “that we are both idiots.”  
“Joker did?”  
“Yeah he said you have a big crush on me, and I have one on you.. And heavily insinuated we do something about it.” She threw the carrot into a salad she had made before going back to the fridge for meat. Steak she had not had for a long time, she was grateful that her fridge was well stocked with drinks and non-perishable foods by her maid; but also that when she messaged and said she was coming home this stuff got put there for her.  
“We are…?” Kaidan repeated while she put the steaks on the grill.”He might be right.”  
“C’mon, lets eat at the table… it can be a date…” when she said it she hesitated “We are on shore leave, the regs don’t count right?”  
“Well…”  
“C’mon… we are chasing the end of the world here, Staren, and his friends intend to bring it and we are fighting it. So maybe we can take some time out and have a date?”  
“Ok.” He smiled at her, a grin perfect for a date. “Then I have something for this…”  
He dug around in his bag and came up with a bottle of wine.  
“Ah you did come prepared.” he set the bottle down on the table and Chloe opened it pouring two glasses of the earth-created pinot.   
They ate in silence for a moment.  
“So, Chloe, the real question. What are we?”  
“What do you want to be? We are at bare minimum friends.”she paused “I think it’s up to you if we are more than that, you know my assignment to the Normandy is temporary.”  
“Would you be happy with more?” Kaidan asked leaning towards her, his body language telling her he definitely wanted more, but what did he want? Just sex was not going to wash with her.  
“I… “ she paused considering carefully how to word how she felt. “Kaidan if I say I want more, it is.. Not a short term one night stand deal.”  
“No. I wasn’t thinking that… “ He blushed, and Chloe couldn’t help feeling it was adorable, apparently he was now thinking of sex. “I mean, not that I don’t.. I just…” he tripped so hard on his words he sighed. There was moment silence as they figured out how to say what they wanted.  
“Kaidan, I want a forever relationship.” she blurted “I want someone who isn’t going to use me and leave me. That’s what I want.”  
“Thank god.” he finally said “We agree on that, Chloe I might trip on the words but yes i want the same thing.”  
“Let’s eat…..” Chloe started to say thinking she had said the wrong thing “Wait you do?”  
“Yeah. I don’t know why I feel so protective of you, especially since you can fight on your own pretty well; but when we met that guy in the alley, I didn’t even know you that well. I hadn’t had the chance, but he pushed me into you?”  
“Yeah.” she nodded “I was surprised to have someone stand up for me, I am used to being alone.”  
“Not anymore.” Kaidan said “You don’t need to be alone, don't need to fight things alone.”   
“C’mon.” she said, “ Lets go sit in the lounge.”  
He followed her and they sat down next to each other.  
"So you know how ridiculous my life has been." Chloe sighed " you still interested?"  
"In you?"   
"Mm." Chloe stared at her hands  
"You're trying to give me an out?"  
"Of course."  
Kaidan shifted a little where he was sitting to face her.   
" My turn then." Kaidan said quietly "Before we are anything its only fair you know my past, since I know yours; you might reconsider too."  
"I doubt that, but go on.." She didn’t move away but instead angled her head to listen.  
“I was selected for Biotic Acclimation and Temperance training - BaAt or Brain camp as the kids called it... it was 2166.”  
“Oh.” Chloe had heard about that school, how it had failed.   
“We had a turian as the specialist trainer.” Kaidan was trying to get to the point “his name was Vyrannus.”  
“Oh.” Chloe repeated, she had heard about Vyrannus and how he had pushed the kids through hell, and for the most part was permitted to do so. It made her admire him, for telling her straight up, for owning his past.  
“You… seem to know something?”  
“I do. I want to hear your story though.”   
“Ok, there was also a girl. Rahna, I was really close with her, I … liked her.” He smiled slightly as he recalled her “A really sweet person, everyone liked her. Vyrannus was brutal on the students. He liked to punish us by with-holding food or water. He offered Rahna water in one of the training sessions, taunting her with it. When she reached for it instead of puling it biotically he broke her arm. She just wanted a drink without getting a blood nose.”  
“What happened? Did he get his?”  
“I got up to defend her.” Kaidan sighed, suddenly aware that Chloe was smiling “Why are you smiling?”  
“That is definitely something you would do.” she kept smiling “Keep going.”  
“I don’t really know what I could do but I had to do something. He lost his temper though, was yelling about how humanity is a waste of time and his people should have bombed us back to the stone age.” Kaidan shook his head at the memory “Then he pulled a knife on me, a military issue talon, so I cut loose, a biotically charged kick, as strong as i could do now, but as a teenager.. Well.. It hit him with full force, snapped his neck.”  
“They didn’t get him to emergency medical care fast enough.” Chloe added to Kaidan’s surprise “I was given a file a few years back, a turian had bought it up again, and it was my job to make it go away. “  
“So then, I guess you know more than I just told you.” Kaidan laughed running his hand on his neck nervously “So you can make an informed decision.”  
“Kaidan.” Chloe leant towards him, “I am not going to kick you out, and I am not going to say no, I like you; you like me as much or more I think.”  
“I…” Kaidan was surprised by the gesture, she had not even paused when he told her; hadn’t offered to fix him or make the ghosts go away - whatever the term was these days.  
“You?” Chloe asked “ You never did answer, knowing my past, are you still interested in me?”  
“More than interested,” he replied, reaching out to pull her the last small distance to where he was seated “I think I have fallen in love with you.”  
“You think?”She looked up at him, her red hair falling back from her face.  
“I love you.” He said then kissing her gently.  
“As much as I love you…” she whispered “Gods that's hard for me to say.”  
“Sorry,” Kaidan laughed again “Not trying to make things harder for you.”  
“Will you stay here?” Chloe asked then “I.. you.. If you want to, that is… I’m not trying to make things move faster but I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”  
“You know in our line of work, relationships don’t happen very often.” Kaidan replied soberly “There is a risk we could…”  
“Yes I know.” Chloe sighed “Especially because of the work I do.”  
“I can stay.” Kaidan said then “If you don’t think it is moving too fast.”  
“Kaidan, you are too far away from me right now, I don’t think we are moving too fast.” She replied, getting up from the sofa and pulling him with her. “Let me show you around.”


	7. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brings Kaidan and Chloe together at last.  
> Shepard approves. Joker isn't sure. 
> 
> [not sure how to break it to readers, but there is a sex scene involved in this chapter]

Chloe grabbed Kaiden by the hand, in her excitement, the blue glow from her biotics flared.  
"Ahm" he managed.  
"Sorry!" She tried to instantly drop his hand but instead, Kaidan's biotic field flowed over her. It stopped her in her tracks as it moved up her arms. Caressing, in a way she had never felt before, tingling, licking at her skin,  
"Umm Kaidan?" He was watching her mesmerized by how their biotic field was dancing off of one another. He took a deep breath and reached for her, pulling her into his arms, the blue from their biotics flickering together before merging, flowing over them.  
"So ah this is my room," she announced breathlessly.

Kaidan had her lifted off the ground, her legs, arms and biotics wrapped around him. She managed to kick the door open with her foot before Kaidan groaned, laying her like a prize on the bed.  
"I didn't know our biotics would interact like that" Chloe said quietly as he sat next to her. They removed their shoes, and pants while keeping an eye on each other, slowing down the process. Finally Kaidan removed his shirt, and Chloe gasped.  
"Like?"  
"Yes,very much." To illustrate she pulled him down to lie across on the side of bed and stood above him. Running her hands slowly along the bare skin of his stomach she traced a long scar.  
"Hm?"  
"Vryannus." He identified and grimaced at the memory..  
" gods." Chloe shook her head and kissed along the scar.

Kaidan was uncovered except for his military issued underpants which did little to hide what he wanted from her.  
She kissed the scar, trailing a hand that had biotic charge along his thigh. Kissing his chest. He gave a soft moan.  
"Chloe.." there was warning and desire in his voice as he rolled over to take control.  
He did fumble slightly with her remaining shirt buttons.  
"I need practice." He said his mouth was already on her now visible stomach, his hand slipping up underneath the offending shirt to caress her breast.  
"Let me." She said as he finally got her shirt open, she removed her bra without fanfare. Standing she also managed to remove her underwear. Kaidan watched her, his eyes dancing over her skin as she tossed things carefully into a hamper.  
"Kaidan?" Her voice soft " do you like what you see…"  
As an N7 she also had scars, quite a few actually. She felt shy, exposed. Uncertain that he would like her with all her scars and their stories.  
"Come here."  
She went obediently to him, he had tossed the briefs aside as well and stood up by the bed. Both naked.  
"No hiding things." Chloe said as Kadan ran a hand tracing a long scsr along Chloe's collarbone.  
"I was seven, running jump off a pipe escaping the police."  
"Always the dramatic" Kaidan grinned, continuing his exploration, slowly, carefully tracing the next scar.  
"Parting gift from the reds."  
"Your gang?"  
"yeah…"  
He ran kisses along the line of it down her side. His breath warm on her skin.  
"This one?" The freshest of her scars.  
"You.. wont like the answer.." he shook his head looking down at her " its all part of you, the stories the scars, and I want to know it all?"  
"Tortured for info in a case?" She muttered. Ashamed she had been caught and wounded.  
Kaidan flowed over her then. His biotics flaring, protecting her,but also caressing her; somehow it made her weak at the knees.  
"Damn." Chloe found herself cradled in his arms. At this point thoroughly turned on.  
He bent and kissed her, the kiss depening and his hand moving gently over her thigh in a progressively more intense tease.  
Chloe decided two could play this game. And she returned the motion first lowering her hands to his hip. She ran her fingers down the side dipping to his thighs and using her biotics to emit a small jolt as she touched his penis.  
"Fuck." Kaidan gasped his eyes opening wide as Chloe grinned.  
"Faster." She suggested, pushing further onto the bed.  
"Mm " Kaidan agreed as he was kissing her arm.  
"Lie down?" She suggested "let me have you."  
Kaidan lay down on the bed, his body clearly responding to her as she moved to kneel between his legs.  
She ran her hands down his stomach. Relishing in the firm muscles. Kaidan knew what was coming but still managed to gasp in surprise when her fingers brushed against him. She quickly followed fingers with her mouth and judging by his gasp it had been a while since anyone had shown any attention to his body.  
“Mm.” she inhaled him, the musky heedy smell of arousal and desire.  
Running her kisses along his penis she felt him shift, she created a small field of energy and ran it carefully over his skin.  
“How the…” she heard him attempt to ask before he gasped “Chloe!”  
Her mouth was now down on his tip, kissing, swirling her tongue over the surface, enjoying giving Kaidan what she had imagined giving him for a while now. This was a whole lot better than imagination. She balanced with one hand and used the other to gently run up and down his shaft, starting slowly and increasing, always keeping her mouth down on the top.  
“Fuck… you are a tease Chloe…”Kaidan was saying “If you keep that up I am going to…”  
She could already taste pre-cum, and wasn’t even the slightest bit concerned about him cuuming otherwise but she really wanted him as well so with difficulty she backed off.  
“Chloe…?” Kaidan was getting his breath but it didn’t take long before he realised she had backed off so he could have a chance to enjoy her as well.  
“Lie down.” He ordered standing awkwardly “Let me..”  
Nodding she lay down.  
“What would you like?” he whispered hoarsely as she looked up at him.  
“You.”  
“Where?”  
“Inside.. God Kaidan I want you.” she muttered as he kissed her; the taste of Kaidan was still on her lips and he moaned softly before he said “yes.”  
“Drawer…” she pointed to the drawer by the bed, he quirked an eyebrow but managed to find and equip a condom, and lube before he continued, he bent down and kissed her again.  
Their biotics, which always flared in uncontrolled emotional moments were free here, neither of them felt the need to keep control. Chloe felt it again and watched as Kaidans’s biotic spark sent a call for her own..  
“Chloe?” Kaidan’s voice was laden with desire  
“Kaidan, I want you,” she said again louder, definite, the permission he needed.  
“Ok.” He nodded moving over her before he felt her try and line up with him.  
“It’s ok, first time for us,” Chloe said as they fumbled a little “Can’t get enough of looking at you though… mmh,”  
He gently pushed himself into her. Rocking gently as their bodies found each others rhythm, Each time he pushed forward Kaidan leaned down to kiss her and watching her face as she pushed back at him, her entire body feeling like it was calling for him, each time he pulled away, she felt she was missing him. The closer they came to climax their biotics flared around them, like a shared blue core.  
“Chloe?” he asked breathlessly  
”Kaidan..”  
“I love you.” The second time he had said those words to her.  
“Good… am going to…” she stopped talking as she just clung to him, his body still moving against her as she became absorbed in ecstasy. He took his own turn not long after, as she was coming down from hers.  
“Fuck,.”  
“Chloe…”  
“Mmh?”  
“I truly do love you.”  
“Kaidan. I love you too.” Chloe murmured in reply, easier this time to say, maybe the wall that Kaidan had ignored would never come back between them?  
The blue light faded, and they stared at each other for a moment before Chloe got a fit of giggles. Kaidan fought a smile, but after a moment they were both giggling.  
"We make some interesting faces," Chloe explained, trying to stop the giggles.  
“Shower?” Kaidan whispered into her ear,  
“Next part of the tour.” she laughed.

They showered and changed, Chloe slipped into a t-shirt that hung low over her hips, and some jeans, and Kaidan into a military-issue tracksuit and shirt.  
“Shit we got a message.”  
“We were busy.”Chloe said quietly but with a smirk.“Shepard?  
“How did you guess? He wants to know where we are.”  
“Oh,” Chloe sighed, “give him the address, he already would have figured we are together.”  
“It is the middle of the night… “ Kaidan trailed off as Shepard answered the call, with a background noise that sounded like a club or the end of a big meeting.  
“Hey,” Kaidan said, waiting for Shepard to find a better spot for talking.  
“Where the hell are you?”Shepard was never one for subtle questions “Joker was looking around for you and for Chloe.”  
“Joker? And I am at Chloes’ house..”  
“Chloe has a house?”  
“Yes, let me send you the address.” He hung up shaking his head. Chloe had gone to the kitchen and was staring at the cupboard and fridge.  
“Well, I don't feel like having the food in here…” she sighed, “I think I want pizza.”  
“We did use up a lot of energy.” Kaidan noted “Order 4 pizza’s?”  
“Because Shepard is on his way?”  
“Yup.”  
Chloe phoned in the order. Her sense of hunger was now getting to be too much; she made a mental note to get a stock of bars for home so when the hunger hit she could use them.

“Door.” Kaidan called a few minutes later, from the sofa where he had settled.  
“Not the pizza… “ Chloe frowned, they would have had to move fast.  
She peered at the video chat and gasped “Shepards here.”  
Opening the door to let him in she soon realized why he was close by he was dressed in his full uniform, complete with the hat.  
“Shepard.” Chloe greeted him “You look good in that.”  
“Goddamn awful meetings.” he said glancing around at the room “Wow, this place is…big.”  
“Spec ops pays well enough.” Chloe said she didn't need to explain everything to him.  
“Beer in the fridge, pizza is on its way.”  
“Your hair is wet.” Shepard narrowed his eyes.  
“Yeah it’s called a shower Shep.” she shook her head.  
“Kaidan, your hair is wet too.”  
“Shower, Shepard.” Kaidan replied with a smirk.  
“Oh” Shepard jumped up from where he had just barely sat next to Kaidan who placed his head in his hands.”You actually did it… !”  
“Shepard, behave or so help me I will…” Kaidan replied.  
“No no it’s good, well bad for on ship but good for you two.”  
“For us?”  
“Yeah, my best friend and my sister... It’s awesome.” Shepard sat down beaming like he had arranged it all.  
“Why do I get the impression I missed something?” Chloe asked.  
“Kaidan asked for my advice, not naming you but …”  
“I see..”she glanced at Kaidan and winked “I don’t think he needs advice anymore.”  
“So it’s a thing, you two are together? It wasn’t just sex?” Shepard leaned forward “Cos I was worried about that.”  
“Together. For however long the universe decides.” Chloe replied looking at Kaidan.  
“Good. Joker said he's on his way over.”  
“Okay…” she shook her head “I'm going to run out of beer before this night is done.”  
“Likely.” Kaidan agreed with a grin “But we can always get more tomorrow.”  
“Oh so you are staying… that explains it.”  
“Explains?” Chloe asked.  
“Shower,” Shepard replied, his face turning red. to which Kaidan cracked up laughing  
“Shepard, your first thought was probably more accurate. It is a nice shower tho.”

The doorbell went again.  
“Either Joker, and pizza, or just one or the other.”  
It was both - the pizza was double her order, which in the end didn’t matter and Joker was waiting on his crutches while the pizza guy delivered.  
“Joker!” Chloe called “Come on in, welcome to my humble home.”  
“Holy moly… Chloe, you have good taste.”  
“I like to think so.” Except Chloe was looking at Kaidan.  
“The chair is good and comfy if you want it, I'm going to get plates because my floor is not for food.”

"I want to steal you away back to bed" Kaidan whispered just behind her, giving a shiver as he hugged her close.  
"Er.." Joker came around the corner just as Kaidan kissed her on the forehead." I don't have to see that right…"  
"Sorry." Chloe blushed and added, " ah, need a drink..anyone else?”  
"Beer please?" Kaidan asked, letting her escape but also making sure she returned.  
She was nearly back when she overheard Joker.  
" Alenko in all seriousness, you are lucky."  
"Talking about Chloe?" Kaidan's tone was curious  
"Yes," to Chloe's surprise, Joker actually sounded angry.  
"Joker? You know me better than that, just talk."  
"She's the best damn person I've met." Joker paused" and, she has more ghosts than.."  
"Joker I know," there was a kindness to Kaidan's voice that gave Chloe a smile.  
"I…" Joker hesitated “I like her too Kaidan, “  
“I see.”  
“So you had better look after her, or so help me…”  
“I get it, Joker, I do. I intend to look aft4er her for .. well forever if she lets me.”  
“You had better.” Patrick Shepard joined the two men, standing tall.  
“I want to try,” Kaidan repeated. “But is this where you challenge me to a duel for your sister's honor?”  
Chloe standing around the corner gave herself away by snorting.  
“Chloe.” Shepoard raised an eyebrow “How long were you..”  
“I got you a beer.” She handed Kaidan his beer. “Long enough.”  
“It’s fine, I am not here for secrets I can use to blackmail you - although…” Chloe laughed at how worried Shepard looked. “Hackett didn’t assign me to you for that reason.”  
“No, I know..” Pat shook his head at her “Sometimes it is clear you are my sister other times it isn’t as easy to tell.”

It took half the night before they were able to close the door behind Joker and Shepard.  
“Thank the stars that over.” Chloe leaned against the wall “I was thinking they would never go.”  
“Might need some sleep,” Kaidan suggested steering Chloe to the bedroom.  
“Yeah sleep.” she glanced at Kaidan “Which side of the bed do you want?”  
“Your bed, so you choose your side and I can accommodate.”  
“Ok I sleep near the window usually; be right back.” Chloe yawned “teeth and so on.”  
She disappeared into the bathroom giving Kaidan time to settle into bed.  
She came back 20 minutes later and fell into the bed next to him with another long yawn.  
“Did I wear you out?” Kaidan said, pulling her closer.  
“Mm.” She snuggled down on his chest like they had slept that way for years.


	8. Finding the Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While on shore leave a case of a missing person falls into their laps. It turns out to be a lot closer to home .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ As always this is NANOWRIMO 2020, and will be edited after the writing is done]

Kaidan awoke with a start, it was still dark, but he could hear sounds next to him. It took him a moment to realise it was Chloe, punching and kicking in her sleep.  
“Chloe” gently rocked her to wake her up, but ended up having to duck a punch aimed at whatever nightmare she was having.  
“I won’t go! You can’t make me go.” Chloe yelled suddenly before she sat bolt upright in bed breathing heavily.  
“Shit.” Kaidan exclaimed, “Are you ok?”  
“I get… bad dreams sometimes..” Chloe looked down, “Usually they aren’t bad on tour but…”  
“It’s ok, though you do throw a good punch in your sleep.”  
“Sorry.” she looked at him then, concerned.  
“Don’t worry I ducked.” He pulled her close. “It is scary watching it though.”  
“Well lets see the time?”  
It was 04:00.  
“We could get a start on that case.” Chloe offered “Or go back to sleep?”  
“Let’s do both.” Kaidan suggested pulling up his omnitool, “Here I have a search started for anything that can help us. Now let's sleep.”

Kaidan woke again at 08:00 and found Chloe was snoring softly, curled comfortably next to him - her arm and leg thrown over his as if claiming him, he chuckled and extracted himself from the bed, throwing on his sweatshirt and pants from the previous day he went looking for some breakfast to cook.  
The kitchen was better stocked than he imagined, Chloe obviously had some preferred taste in fry pans and the like because they were of the more expensive variety. He managed to find some eggs, and proceeded to make scrambled eggs on toast with bacon.  
He also found the coffee and put a pot on thinking they might well need it by the end of this morning where they would go down to the warehouses to look for this c-sec officer.

“Maybe he’s undercover?” Kaidan mused aloud  
“Maybe you should be?” Chloe laughed from the door “I smelt bacon.”  
“Oh I made breakfast, was about to come and tell you it was ready!”  
Kaidan almost bounced over to her and greeted her with a kiss.  
“It is a good morning.” He added with a grin.  
“You look as good this morning as you did last night.” She replied, then cringed “Oh gods, that sounds really bad.”  
“Have some coffee?” Kaidan laughed, this was a nice domestic normal kind of morning, and he led her over to the table for breakfast.  
“Wow Kaidan you really know how to cook!”  
“Yeah, had to learn at brain camp.” He reminded her “Not much else to do, and hungry biotic kids are hungry.”  
“We did learn to cook.” Chloe confirmed “They also tried to teach us nutrition and such but when you are hungry that tends to be ignored.”  
“Is that why you rely on those bars?”  
“Guilty.” she laughed “You saw my pantry. I take it.”  
“I never knew they came in so many flavours?”  
“I have a maid who checks everything when I am here, and I can notify her about my timetable.”  
“Oh that is pretty good.” Kaidan frowned “Just how much does spec ops pay?”  
“I was a spy Kaidan, they pay a spy pretty well.”  
“Will you go back to that?”  
“I don’t know.” She looked down at the half empty plate “That is up to hackett, I tend to be a tool to be used rather than a marine.”  
“Sorry Chloe…” He covered her knee with his hand under the table “I just honestly want you to stay on the Normandy.”  
“I would if that was a choice they gave me.” she agreed “I like the people, and Patrick isn’t a bad CO.”  
“Pat… oh I promised to call him and wake him up. One second.” Kaidan pulled out his omni tool and called Shepard’s, it was a neat trick which enabled them to talk privately, Kaidan had figured out the actual numbers and tech to call between them. Chloe could only look on in awe.

“Mmph?” after a moment they heard Shepard.  
“Wake up lazy.” Kaidan said “We need your help today, remember.”  
“Ok.” Shepard was instantly awake. “Are you still at Chloe’s?”  
“No I threw him out - yes he’s still here.” Chloe answered from where she was sitting, amused at Shepard.  
“Alright I am on my way. I have information which might help us get started.”  
Kaidan nodded and hung up.  
“How long have you known Shepard?” Chloe asked  
“We served on a ship together before this one, he was always just.. I don't know, disorganised? I guess it is a habit to try and keep him moving forward.”  
“Thanks, I suspect that kept him alive more than once.” Chloe said thoughtfully.  
The doorbell rang as she finished her food, and Kaidan was loading the dishwasher.

“Ok so.” Shepard had a datapad with him and handed it to Chloe.  
“From the spectre’s office.”  
“Oh good gravy, the poor woman.”  
“What?”  
“Our C-sec officer is being held hostage down in the docks by… a gang.” she glanced at Shepard who shrugged “by our old gang.”  
“How is it you were both in the same gang without knowing each other?”  
“Geographic.” Chloe replied “We were dumped in the same area as young kids, no-one thought that we were related, so different wings of the gang absorbed us.”  
“Ok makes sense. Now why are they on the citadel?”  
“I think.” Shepard sighed “That they are making trouble for me.”  
“Shit… here look at the news today.”  
“Human Spectre’s Dark Past” “What you don’t know about Shepard” - and my favourite from a Turian publication, aimed at the turian first movement - “Xenophobe in Spectres”  
“Overnight huh?” Shepard mused frowning.  
“What meeting were you at Shepard, this stuff… it has been held back before.” Chloe said pointing to the dates on the by lines. “Something you said offended someone.”  
“Probably ‘the Reapers are coming and we are not ready’”?  
“Your vision…”  
“And the cypher…” Shepard nodded  
“They were true?” Chloe bit her lip and considered it “Who would try and stop it?”  
“Anyone who was afraid of what it could mean.” Kaidan said coming over to them.  
“So why stir up the reds to kidnap someone?”  
“There was already an issue.” Shepard replied. “Finch told me as much, I should have shot him.”  
“That’s not like you tho.” Chloe patted him on the arm “You like to give people a second chance. Or at least a chance to be sensible.”  
“So what does that mean?”  
“It means… I think you and I had better handle this.” Chloe gestured to Kaidan “We might need backup… who do you think would help? Be good for us if they were Turian at this point.”  
“You really want to stir them up?”  
“Hell yes.” Chloe said “I was not able to even defend against Finch’s words last time, but I have an axe to grind with the whole ‘I hate aliens’ thing.”  
“Take Garrus.” Shepard said, already starting a call to the turian. “He’s a galaxy class sniper.”

“Hey Garrus?” Shepard walked away a little to talk to him, out of ear shot.  
“Will you be okay?” Kaidan asked “I know this isn’t easy stuff for you.”  
“Well, you will be there won’t you?”  
“Yeah.” Kaidan nodded gently, touching her shoulder. “I am not going to leave.”  
“Good. Because you are hella sexy when you use biotics.” she grinned at him as he blushed ever so slightly. “I hope we get to the bottom of this.”  
“They are trying to discredit Shepard, but the information about him being part of a gang is on the extranet anyhow.”  
“Too bad if I wanted privacy on my personal history.” Shepard said coming back into the room  
“They don’t know about me.” Chloe commented “Very few people know you have a sibling.”  
“And even less that she’s my twin.” Shepard agreed sitting down “How does that work by the way?”  
“Huh?”  
“All those years where we didn’t know each other existed.”  
“Well, I joined the System Alliance a day after you did; left the gangs after a big fight that nearly saw me dead, and was recruited from the hospital.” Chloe noted “I caught someone’s attention because of the biotics I think.”  
“I don’t have biotics.”Shepard stared at Chloe  
“No I know.” she frowned “It is like that though, a bit hit and miss for humans.”  
“However, I was recruited from the hospital, same as you, probably the same fight.” he mused “we didn’t know each other existed but we were in the same gang, same city, and so on.”  
“This is true. Our history looks the same.” Chloe agreed, staring at him trying to see the similarities and differences. “I feel like I am a character in a ‘spot the difference’ comic.”  
“Same eyes, same smart assed comments, same stubbornness..”Kaidan commented quietly. “Same sense of loyalty to the System Alliance, you two went two directions with the same results. Both of you are N7.”  
“Except for my Psychology degree.” Chloe murmured.  
“You have a degree?”Patrick asked “That is really cool.”  
“Thank you. I worked really hard for all of it.”  
“Door.” Kaidan said.  
“Ok. I got it.”

“Garrus.” Chloe greeted the turian, he was a good friend now more than the person who had opened the box in the first place. “It is good to see you.”  
“Shepard called, said we have a day to rescue a kidnapped C-sec officer and you need me and my gun to turn up.”  
“Well, more your gun, but you make it look better.” Chloe replied to Kaidan coughing “Don’t tell me you are jealous because I flirted with Garrus!”  
“So I guess I missed something?”  
“Kaidan has a girlfriend.” Shepard supplied “I have a sister.”  
“Sister…?” They started from the beginning and explained who Chloe was to all of them, finally Garrus understood and started to laugh.  
“What is funny?” Kaidan frowned at him.  
“You and Chloe. We all had a bet going that there was something going on.”  
“Thanks.” Kaidan sighed “Who is ‘we all’?:  
“Not giving away any names.”  
“Ahem, back on track.” Chloe said “We need to find this guy before it gets too late.”  
Kaidan nodded “He is being held by a human organization? Gang? Called The Reds, or Tenth St Reds.”  
“Your former gang? Is that why you told me.” Garrus glanced at Shepard who nodded.  
“They took a turian c-sec officer to use as bait to get Shepard to react.”  
“But instead of Shepard, they will get us.” Chloe responded. “My relationship to him isn’t public knowledge, and we trust you will keep it that way. However, I was in the reds, there is a good chance these people might remember me; it has been 11 years since I was part of the gang and trust me my departure was not pleasant.”  
“Ok, where is he being held?”  
They poured over the map and with Garus’ help identified the probable location.  
“Be hard to hold a victim anywhere else.” Garrus nodded looking at it. “I can get up on the keeper walks, and hopefully get a good view with my rifle.”  
“Alright.” Chloe nodded.  
“I can also jump down to scare the crap out of them if necessary.” Garrus grinned “They probably haven't seen an angry turian yet.”  
“Thanks Garrus.” Shepard said with a half smile.  
“Kaidan and I will just head in the front door.” Chloe pointed to the door that looked like a shop entrance off a boulevard “I mean how hard can it be.. Even if it’s locked I have a way through.”  
“Is it a legal way through?” Sheaprd asked with a grimace  
“No.”  
“Then don’t tell me please. I am meant to help with the law on the citadel.”  
Chloe elegantly poked her tongue out at Shepard.  
"Lets go." Kaidam said tapping codes into his omni tool. "Here use this channel. Its a private network we can talk on."  
Shepard joined the channel followed by Garrus but Chloe struggled with the numbers.  
"You really do have sime problems eith numbers ?" Shepard enquired as Kaidan leaned over Chloe and ebteted the data string into her omnitool.  
"Yes. Its a form of dyslexia that concerns numbers. Like most learning issues it shows up in varrying dehrees. Im luck y that its mild and hasnt stoppee me  
"  
" i do think anything could." Kaidsn said quietly.  
"Well aside from analogue clocks." Chloe laughed " time to go."  
"What should i fo?"  
"Stay here til we signal then go to to csec."  
"Why csec?"  
"Going to arrest Finch." Chloe replied with satisfaction.  
" Be careful."  
They nod as Chloe puts her gloves on, switching from playful friend to skilled operative. Nodding the others followed her from the apartment and left Shepard staring out the window, checking spectre stuff and scanning for any other fall out.

The docks were eerily quiet, something which made Chloe keep to cover more than she normally did.  
“Think they are expecting people.”  
“You did say it was a trap.” Kaidan replied softly watching as a guard passed not far from them.  
“Very true.” Chloe pulled something from her belt and threw it. “Get down, cover your nose.”

“What the hell?” the guard exclaimed then blinked a few times “So tired.”  
“That should do it.” Chloe slipped a mask out of her pocket, “Give me a second.”  
She went to the guard who was now sleeping and relieved him of his gun and ID - she checked it and swore quietly, before waving Kaidan forward.  
“Gas disperses quickly, handy for guards tho.” she waved at the one in front of them “10th street alright, this guy is one of the originals.”  
“As in from Earth?” Kaidan asked to which Chloe nodded.  
The next step was to get the door open.  
“Garrus get ready to move into the building with us.” Kaidan ordered over their coms. “Door in 5”  
Chloe grinned and began to hack the door. Pattern recognition hacking was easy for her, and she knew that if it had been numbers she would not have looked nearly so good.  
“Done. Lets go, before our friend wakes up.”  
The building was indeed a store front, Chloe was not surprised to find that there would be a legitimate business in front of where the reds were working.  
“It’s a thing we did back on earth, to make sure people never suspected a thing.” she paused with a frown “Usually though, ah!”  
She pointed to a keypad that locked a door in the back corner of the store.  
“Get that open, the shop keeper, and whoever else they took to keep him quiet are in there.”  
Kaidan nodded and got the datapad’s code and opened the door.  
“Shit.” There were three people inside the small room, one of whom was badly wounded, the other two had minor injuries.  
“Help please!”a weak voice called Chloe ran over as well.  
“Hang in there.” she murmured, punching medi gel to help with the wounded. They had been shot, in a hurry it would seem.  
“Tell us what happened?”  
“We don’t know.” the man replied watching as Kaidan helped his wife and closed the wound with a bandage he pulled from his kit. “One minute they were keen to get Shepard to visit, the next it was…”  
“They shot us and ran…”  
“Well, get to a med centre, you understand? We will go after the people who did this.”Chloe replied, she had to hope it wasn’t a trap at this point, and that she and Kaidan would find Finch. She could be angry later.

Thy followed the locked doors through to the warehouse.  
“Get down.”Chloe warned as thy came in. Both Garrus and Kaidan took cover just in time to hear someone yell below:  
“I don’t think anyone is coming to rescue you…” It was Finch, but Chloe shook her head. It was an old trick to make infiltrators reveal their hand too soon.  
“Garrus,” she whispered, “Get eyes on our hostage. Kaidan with me.”  
She circled around so that she could see Finch yelling at the empty chair as she thought he had been.  
“That’s Finch.”  
“Got our hostage.” Garrus said “He’s got three guards, Chloe, he looks terrible.”  
“One thing at a time, lets get him out of here alive first.”  
Kaidan punched something into his omnitool, “Letting Shep know so he can send help when we send him the signal.”  
“Good idea.” She was used to working solo.  
They had a chance to get Finch without him seeing them,  
“How are those guards?”  
“I can snipe two… “ Garrus replied his tone clearly a sirk “The third one I need to reload for.”  
“Do it, knock them back away from our kidnapee.”  
“Aye Aye.” Garrus imitated a marine.  
“Kaidan hit from this side I am going around, he will see me first anyhow.”

“Hello Finch.”  
“OH if it isn’t little Chloe…” Finch’s tone dripped with acid. “No boyfriend today Chloe? Or was he another one night stand.”  
“Oh he’s not a one night stand.” Chloe smiled easily.  
“Boss!” a voice on the radio called, but ended in a gurgle as Garrus got his shot off on his third target.  
“What is going on?”  
“Now Kaidan.” Chloe called and ducked out of the way as Kaidan hit Finch with a controlled biotic shock wave.  
“Another freak.” he said getting up, slower though and Chloe could see where he hurt.  
“Give it up Finch. We know what is going on.”  
“Do you really?”  
“As traps go this one was pretty poor.” Chloe replied coming back out of cover “You did not exactly get Shepard.”  
Finch’s eyes narrowed at Chloe.  
“Aw shit, you stupid bitch you ruined my plan!”  
“Which? Attack a spectre, who would kill you, or an attack on the citadel police?”  
“Clear Chloe, I got him out we are on the way to medical, he should be okay.”  
“It’s over Finch.” Kaidan added standing next to Chloe, they could see the other c-sec coming through the warehouse with surprise on their face, something Finch didn’t even know was going to happen.  
“There’s an escape behind me.” Finch cackled and threw a grenade which caused the two of them to dive out of the way.  
“You are under arrest” a c-sec officer’s voice, a turian which made it better, rang across the room. Finch was done on the citadel.  
“You two ok?” Chellack stuck his head over the box where they were hiding “That grenade was not standard issue.  
“Just a scratch.” Chloe assured him. “Shepard will be at c-sec to add more charges to this guys work.”  
“He already has a list, this should be good. Spectre’s charges will go a long way to keeping him off our streets.”  
“Happy to help.” Kaidan replied, picking himself up and checking for injuries.  
“I think I had better get this cut taken care of.” Chloe gestured to a small but bleeding cut on her forehead. “Thanks, Chellak.”


	9. Medical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's injured.

“Chloe?” Kaidan was next to her as she slowed down out of sight of the c-sec guys.  
“Urgh, that grenade hurt more than I thought,” she replied looking up at him. “A scratch on the head is one thing but..”  
“Let’s get you back to Chakwas… “  
“Med centre is closer.” she murmured the head wound was more serious than either of them wanted to admit.  
“Ok…” Kaidan sighted and lifted her up in his arms, taking off at a brisk walk to the med centre on the wards. Dr MIchelle was there today, and she took one look at Chloe and one at Kaidan’s ashen face and pointed to a med bay bed.  
“That’s a nasty scratch, let me scan her and see if that’s all we are dealing with.” Dr Michelle stated “You are one of Shepard’s crew aren’t you? You were here before?”  
“I am.. We are both marines on the Normandy.”  
“Ok I am going to make a call to your ship doctor.” she said as she finished scanning, frowning with concern.   
To his surprise Dr Chakwas was there in an instance, ran the same scan over Chloe and nodded  
“Lieutenant?” Chloe sighed and winced at the sounds.  
“Concussion.” Kaidan said “from a grenade blast.”  
“When you dodged how did you…?”  
“I use my biotics out of reflex for a shield, I guess…” he gestured at Chloe “we went two directions.”  
“Well it isn’t more sinister than her brain got rattled.” Doctor Chakwas said “But you will have to keep an eye on her today and tomorrow to make sure she is ok. Report to the med bay on ship as soon as you get back this evening.”  
“Evening?”  
“You didn’t get your updated orders?”  
Kaidan shook his head and opened his omni tool. They were being sent out 12hrs before schedule because of developments on a place called Virmire. He exhaled.  
“You can stay in the med bay with her.” Doctor Chakwas offered.  
“How did you…”  
“The fact you ran her here. The fact that we all had a bet on if you do or don't.. Glad you do.” she dropped her voice so Dr Michelle did not hear “Shepard needs his twin sister to be well.”  
Kaidan shook his head, he should have known that Dr Chakwas does not miss a thing.  
“Ok ok.” he nodded “I guess back to the apartment to clean up.”  
“She will be fine as long as she sits quietly while you do that.” Dr Chakwas ordered “You hear me chloe.”  
“Yes Ma’ám.” she already sounded better.


	10. Virmire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe has to watch the events on Virmire unfold on a small screen, with Joker for company.

The recall to the ship was simple enough, grab their bags and go - marines are usually ready to ship at a moment's notice. Kaidan was happy to help Chloe grab her stuff while she rested. He would throw a concerned look at her now and then just for good measure.   
“Kaidan I’m fine, stop staring at me.”  
“Shepard would yell at me if you weren’t.”  
“Yeah, I guess so.” Chloe sighed.  
“Chloe.. You are stuck in your head” he came and sat down near her “What gives?”  
“I was more worried about you than I ought to have been to make it properly in a fight.” she confessed “I don’t want to stop seeing you, but I don’t want to have to…”  
“Make choices?”  
“Exactly.”  
“Chloe, work is work, what we have is what we have.” Kaidan said quietly “I do want a forever if we can, if we can beat Saren, if we can win against whatever it is he is working on.”  
“Find the conduit…” Chloe murmured almost sadly.  
“Yeah.”  
“We don’t have time to decide things at length. So I should just split work and you?”  
Her hand rested on his leg as he looked down. “We are still us Kaidan, and if it is us against the galaxy so be it.”  
“You really think they will reassign you after the Normandy is done?”  
“Yes. After this tour, I expect Hackett will have a job for me.”  
“Will we…”  
“I told you: Us against the galaxy, partners. How that will look is entirely up to the landscape, but here “she touched her hand to her heart “Is the important place.”  
“I know you are right.” Kaidan sighed “Can I tell my parents we are dating?”  
“Heck tell them we are engaged if you want unless you want to propose properly and not mourning the end of the galaxy.”  
“Give me time.” Kaidan protested with a laugh.   
“We have a lot of that.” she nodded “But not right now, let's get our gear and go.”  
She typed some instructions on her omni tool, and Kaidan watched her fascinated.  
“Instructions for my main” she filled him in “So there is food when I get back here next time.”

Back on the Normandy, the crew met in the communications room.  
“What’s the buzz Commander?”Garrus asked leaning forward, obviously keen to get on with the fight.  
“We have a lead, from the council.” Patrick Shepard was looking more refreshed though just as stressed as he had previously. “An STG team on Virmire sent an encrypted message to the council.”  
“What was the message?”Liara asked confused.  
“They couldn’t extract the message.”  
“So they are sending us in to investigate?” Ashley joined in the conversation “typical.”  
“Well they knew it pertained to Saren.” Pat pointed out “And if nothing else, we might be called on to get butts out of fire.”  
“Is that a common thing Commander?”Liara asked again, wincing, she had been pulled from a literal volcano by Shepard right at the very beginning of this mess.  
“Relax Liara, it’s just a saying.”Kaidan supplied kindly “Commander, where is the STG team located.”  
“Virmire.”  
“Huh” Wrex commented, “Virmire is a tropical escape kind of place, at least.”  
“Well, at least there is sunshine.” Ashley replied, “And maybe a beach.”  
“For this exercise, I want everyone except Chloe ready to go.”  
“But!” Chloe started to say when Shepard gave her a look.  
“” Major Halon you are injured; and as such, I need you to wait on the ship until you are cleared.”  
“Yes sir.” She looked down at her hands defeated.  
“Alright everyone dismissed.”   
After everyone else left, Kaidan, Chloe, and Shepard remained. Chloe was still looking down at her hands muttering under her breath.  
“I know you were hurt helping me Chloie.” Shepard said it quietly “I don’t want you to end up sicker.”  
“It’s just a mild concussion…” she protested but Kaidan shook his head.  
“Concussion can take up to a week to manifest properly.”  
“Oh.”  
“You could end up with headaches, or vomiting any time in that period.”  
“I see your point.” she sighed “May I at least see some of the sunshine after we touch down.”  
“OK, but stay close to the ship, and you are to be on board, next to Joker, when we are fighting understood?”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“It will be okay Chloe,” Kaidan said, touching her arm. “Just another thing to get past.”

As they entered space near Virmire, Chloe begrudgingly went forward to sit with Joker.  
“In the naughty corner?” Joker asked  
“Not exactly, but close enough.”   
“If it helps any, we have access to the body cam footage?”  
“Oh?”  
“I like to keep an eye on things, also it’s better than an action movie.”  
“Well like being in it, without the risk of death?”  
“More or less - except by heart attack, Shepard likes to make sure I get a few of those.”   
Chloe laughed “I am sure.”  
“Get comfy” he pointed to the assistants chair “I might need to have you push a few buttons.”  
”Aye aye.” Chloe replied, with mock salute.  
“You only get away with that because you outrank me!”  
Their chatter settled once they could see virmire properly.

“Ah commander, im counting AA towers.”  
“Drop us in the mako Joker, we will go in hot.”  
“Aye Aye.”   
Shepard took Ashley and Wrex with him as backup.  
“Meet you when the towers are down.”  
It took a while, but the message that all clear came though, they had watched them fight the geth on the small screen and Chloe had shaken her head a few times.  
“Not your ideal entertainment?” Joker asked   
“Well…I might do things differently.”   
“But you are a sneaky sneak - Ash, Werx and Shep wouldn’t know what to do with a stealth shield.”  
“All of them are so… forceful.” Chloe replied shaking her head “Some things are better done with a hint of subtlety.”  
“You can tell them the viewing sucked later.” Joker suggested with a grin “See how Ash deals with that.”  
“I already had a fight with her over my guns the first day I was able to fight.” Chloe shook her head “New issue so I was working them into shape.”  
“By working you mean filing off identifiers?” Joker asked, half joking.  
“Would it shock you if I said yes?” Chloe grinned at him as his eyes widened slightly “Hey no shockform the guy who stole the Normandy.”  
“You heard about that?”  
“Oh yes. Everyone within a certain radius of Hackett’s office heard.” she laughed for the first time properly that day.  
“Welcome to Virmire, exit is where it has always been, try not to trip on the ramp down - gets costly - and enjoy the sunshine.”  
“Joker, you're an ass.”   
“Oh I know. But I am an ass with a cool ship. I know what Shep told you - he repeated it to me, so get some sun, feel the water and sand but then get your butt back up here.”  
“You aren’t coming?”  
“By the time I got to the surface, people would be insisting I already be heading back to the citadel or something.”  
“Ah.”Chloe nodded “Sorry forgot.”  
“Go, enjoy the sand, bring me back a seashell.”

Chloe was not on the planet very long, long enough to find a seashell to jokingly hand to Joker, and long enough to feel a bit of the sun on her pale skin. She was back in the chair on the flight deck faster than expected.  
“They have a plan.” Joker explained as they watched a standoff with Wrex.  
“Pfft that wasn’t a stand off. Wrex knows what we are up against.” Chloe shook her head “He does have a point about curing the genophage though, it is.. Definitely something to table for later.” Joker paused “You were right about the Krogan building stuff though.”  
“What we need is to nuke the hell out of Saren’s facility.”  
“Except there are several more AA guns, all with our number.” Joker replied “It isn’t going to be easy getting off this planet.”

“I need a volunteer to go with the Salarians.” Shepard was saying as Chloe turned her full attention back to the screen.  
“I will go sir.” Kaidan offered..  
“With all due respect LT I will go, we need you to arm the bomb.”Ashley stated.  
“It is a big risk Sir, I…”  
“Let me allocate these rolls please.” Shepard replied to them “Ashley will go with the Salarians.”  
“Aye aye.” Kaidan replied eyeing Ash, something strange in his expression.  
“We need you to arm that bomb so we can get rid of this place. Understand Lieutenant?”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“Ok, I.. Is there something you wanted to say Ash?”  
“Just.. It’s been an honor Sir, to work with you - both of you.”  
“We are still a team. Just hunker down and fight like I know you can, and we will all come back alive.”  
“Yes Sir.” they both saluted.

“Damn.” Chloe muttered, “I had no idea that Shepard was so good at speeches.”  
“Oh he’s good.” Joker agreed “I would follow him anyhow but he is damn good at speeches.”  
“So the Salarians have a plan that involves three teams, and Shepard’s team?”  
“Pretty much.”Joker nodded “And then once those turrets are done we will drop the bomb off, arm it, then get the hell away from Virmire.”  
“Sounds… doable.” Chloe said with uncertainty “Wish I was there.”  
“Glad you aren’t.”Joker replied without thinking “One less to worry about.”  
“What?”  
“Nothing.” Joker bit his lip and Chloe shook her head.  
They watched the feed with baited breath, Shepard took Kaidan and Garrus with him into what the Salarians called the ‘shadow squad’.  
“Why does that name suit Garrus?” Chloe pondered.  
“I don’t know, maybe because he is a shadowy guy?”  
“Damn but he's a good shot though.”  
“I am sure that impresses all the ladies.”  
“Joker.. Just because you can't handle a sniper rifle…”  
“Hah, I can fire a much bigger gun.” Joker replied stroking the arm of his chair.  
“Thanks, I really needed that image.”  
They made it through the interior of the complex to Saren’s office.  
“He let her go…” mused Chloe “I wonder how fast she can run.”  
Joker did not have much time to consider because they were watching from Shephard's view when the beacon lifted him up.  
“Shit.”   
“Is this the same as on Eden Prime?” Chloe asked “DId this happen then?”  
“I think so.” Joker shook his head slightly “I just don’t know..”  
Shepard was calm, and it was over fast, for Chloe that eerie sense of a nightmare hung over her and she felt like she couldn't shake it. She made a small frustrated noise.  
“Ah so you are twins.” Joker commented.  
“What?”  
“Been having nightmares lately?”   
“I always do..” she shook her head “Later.”  
“But it is…” Joker was drawn back to the screen and in silence they watched a hologram of Sovereign.   
“I am the Vanguard of your destruction…”  
“Are there more of you?”  
“Thousands wait in dark space for the return.”  
Shepard drew a deep breath, and looked directly at the beast of a hologram.  
“You are a machine, and machines can be destroyed.” 

“Shit.” Joker said pointing to a ship that just turned one eighty to head towards the base.  
“Shep, I don't know what you did but that ship is heading for you.”  
Chloe was absorbing the speech, turning it over in her head when she gasped.  
“Sovereign isn't just made by the reapers, he is a reaper.”   
“What?”  
“The ship. IS. A . Reaper.” she finally got out.  
“That can’t be good.” Joker replied looking at her “A thousand of those..”  
“All the more reason to stop Saren.”  
“Yeah I was invested before and now… now we might need help.” He was watching as Sovereign entered the air space around the base. “A lot of help.”  
“If they make it into our space, through the relays or whatever; then yes it is going to take everything we have to get them gone.” Chloe stared at the screen without really noticing it.   
“My brother has a lot on his shoulders.”  
“The whole galaxy.” Joker replied grimly.

“AA towers are down, Joker bring in that nuke.” Shepard ordered.  
“Aye Aye.” Joker replied before angling the Normandy around the base.  
The bomb on the ground, they took the Normandy back into the air to wait for extraction.  
“Ashley, get to the extraction point.”  
“No, Commander, we are pinned down. Captain Kirrahee is dead.”  
“Shit.” Joker muttered.   
“Go help them Commander, this will take a while anyhow.” Kaidan suggested  
“Ok. I will be back once we have Ashley.”   
“Aye aye.” 

It took a few minutes before they saw another ship dropping off geth.  
“Alenko, geth dropship inbound.” Joker was all business now trying to decide which way to take the Normandy.  
“It’s here already. I am arming the bomb.  
“Alenko!”Shepard’s voice called over coms “What are you doing?”  
“There are too many, but I will defend this position for as long as I can.”  
Chloe opened and closed her mouth. This is what they had talked about. Work came first. Duty to the Alliance, to the galaxy.   
“Go back to the LT Commander, you know it is right.” Ashley said over coms.   
“Ash… I am sorry.” Pat’s voice sounded pained.  
“It’s ok, I have no regrets. Now get to the LT.”  
“Joker pick us up at Kaidan's location.”  
“Aye aye” all joking was now gone, Chloe was pale, relieved, scared, sad and angry at Saren all at the same time.  
“Saren incoming.”Joker notified the commander in time for him to avoid being hit.

The fight was short, and Joker landed the ship to get them up.   
“We are in, get us out of here Joker.”  
“Aye.”  
“Chloe stay in that seat.” Joker said “hold on.”  
They left of bit in time for the bomb to explode. They had the rest of the STG team on board as well. Only the dead were left behind.  
“Now get your ass to med bay. Kaidan was hurt.”Joker said doing what he could to cover her thinking for her.  
“Thanks Joker.” she stuck her hand in her pocket. “Here..”  
A single white shell was placed in his hand.   
“Thanks.” It would have made him laugh before, but for now it was just a token of friendship, a memorial to the lost and a mark of hope maybe.

“Kaidan.”Chloe was in the med bay when he came to, surprised and then miserable that he was alive. “Gods you scared me.”  
“Alenko… your heroics nearly cost your life.” Dr Chakwas had an image up on the xray board, showing just how close to danger he had been.   
“Should have been me…”  
“Kaidan!”Chloe was stunned “It should have been neither of you.”  
“Not to mention you are the ranking officer.” Shepard stood in the doorway frowning.  
“Is that your blood or the Lieutenants?” Dr Chakwas asked, looking at Shepard.  
“His.” Bone weary Shepard sat down. “From Hawling his ass out of the fire again.”  
“Sorry.”  
“Kaidan, it was you or Ash, it was my choice. I was choosing between two friends I loved dearly, don’t be ungrateful for this chance, please.” Shep said, “I need to know I made the right choice.”  
“I. know. It might take time.”  
“That’s ok. Chloe, how is your head?”  
“I am ok…. We do need to talk though…” she looked at the doctor and shrugged.   
“Can it wait, I need a shower, and a few hours sleep.”  
“No.” Chloe was surprised at herself. “It is important.”  
“Alright shoot…”  
“I have had since you were on eden prime, dreams and such - not clear ones, nothing so easy, just feelings of doom, replacing my fears with that sense of galactic doom.”  
“The beacon.” Shepard confirmed.  
“I also know when you are injured. Or afraid.” she looked down “I didn't realise that until now.”  
“We are twins Chloe… I guess that is something that transcends upbringing.”  
“One other thing.” she swallowed hard “Sovereign.”  
“The ship?”  
“Sovereign isn't just a ship, Sovereign is a reaper.”  
“What?”all three of the others in the room looked at her like she was crazy. “It is what was said via the hologram on Virmire. It admitted as much. “  
“I know.”Shepard said thinking it through “It is enough to hurt your head however.”  
“We need to tell people Shepard, we have to…” she shook her head.   
“I get it, and we will.”  
“Commander we have been called back to the citadel.”  
“There you go, that will be an opportunity to explain it all.”


	11. Fate of the Galaxy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone needs to actually talk about the end of it, but no-one is doing anything.

"Stay." Kaidan requested, as the others left the med bay.  
“Kaidan…” Chloe’s voice was shaky.  
“I know.” He shook his head looking at her “I am not suicidal, I just…. Ash…”  
Chloe stood and walked to him, Kaidan had his head in his hands.  
“I am here. I won’t pretend I am happy to hear you volunteer to die, but I get it.”  
“There is a high cost to survival isn’t there?”   
“Yes, always. That is the choices that get people tagged for N7, that's the kind of shit they put on us.” Chloe touched his shoulder “But you… you don’t need to carry the guilt like this.”  
“Shepard will.” Kaidan looked up pleading with her.  
“I know.” She paused, her hand resting on his shoulder not moving “But Shepard knows what he needs to do, and does it. You need to honor his choice, by living.”  
“Is it that easy?”  
“No. It isn’t the easy choice. Honoring people… being the best you can.. “She shook her head “it isn't easy.”  
“Do you think the council will react?” Kaidan asked quietly.  
“No.” she sighed “I think we are all woefully unprepared.”

The Council meeting was not what any of them wanted. They denied the request to go to Ilos, denied that Sovereign was a Reaper; denied that Saren was a threat or that the conduit was their main target.  
Worse. Udina used it to leverage political conversation, and locked out the controls of the Normandy.

“This isn’t fair!” Chloe exclaimed as they sat despondent around a table at the nearest cafe. Coffee being the target drink. Patrick had gone back to the ship already.   
“It’s why I left here.” Garrus agreed “Too many political points and attempts to wrangle people.”  
“I’m sure that Shepard will think of something.”  
“I … should go check on him.” Liara looked at them “Make sure we are all back after we are done here, no idea what’s going to happen, but I get the feeling we should be ready to go.”  
Liara left and Chloe started to giggle.  
“Chloe?”  
“Shepard and Liara…”  
“What? No!”Garrus was shocked “How did they hide that?”  
“By making you all bet over Kaidan and I.” Chloe said brightly “Well at least that’s one good thing from this mess.”  
“One?” Kaidan raised an eyebrow,  
‘Shepard’s one good thing, you, m’dear, are mine.” She leaned against him as Wrex and Garrus made noises. It was good to have a moment of happiness even in the middle of the mess.  
“We could take some coffee back with us.” Kaidan suggested “I have a feeling we will need it.”  
“Get beans.” Chloe suggested “ there's a grinder and a pot on the Normandy.”  
“How do you know that?”  
“I poked around.”   
“Should have guessed.” Garrus interjected “She is a spy…”  
“Hey now, I am a perfectly reputable Major.”Chloe winked.  
“Ok lets go then, oh…” Kaidan had an incoming call.  
“Captain Anderson, Sir?”  
“Is Shepard with you?”  
“No Sir, he is back on the ship.”   
“Alright. Get back to the ship, be ready to get out of here, I have a plan.”  
“Yes Sir.” Kaidan frowned.  
“He would risk everything for us to go?” Chloe gaped “This is… more than I expected.”  
“He believes in our mission.” Kaidan replied “He gave up the Normandy for it..”  
“Actually..” Garrus said “I think he believes in Shepard, and so do all of us.”  
“Anyone with second thoughts?”Chloe asked carefully  
“No.” They said unanimously.   
“Let's get back to our ship.”She nodded her face going into her professional mode “Let me get those beans.”   
The rest went back to the ship, but Kaidan stayed to watch her.

“May I purchase some of your fine beans?”   
“Of course. How many, how much?” A human barista replied.  
“They are for Commander Shepard, I..”  
“Oh!”The woman stared, seeing the uniform “Let me pack some for you, I am sure you will like them, they just arrived from Earth.”  
Kaidan shook his head slightly to himself, trust Shepard’s name to get the best.  
“How much?”  
“Free.” the girl smiled “My folks were on Elysium when it was attacked, he saved their lives.”  
“Thank you.” Chloe smiled then, “I will be sure to let him know your thanks.”  
As she took the package of coffee, and waved at Kaidan, they walked back to the ship.  
“You do that often?”  
“Name drop to get things? No. However I left my money in my locker.” Chloe laughed.  
“You were so sure?” Kaidan was curious.  
“Always. And if you aren’t just act like you are. People don’t need to hear the doubt going on in your head.”   
“Ah.”Kaidan nodded “Glad I bought your drink then.”  
“I would have asked you.”  
“I know.” Kaidan grinned and grabbed her arm and spun her into him “We have exactly two seconds for this.”   
“For wha.,...” Chloe was silenced when Kaidan kissed her, a long two second kiss.  
“For that, let's go.”Kaidan said letting her go.  
“I like that trick..” Chloe smiled at him as they headed back to the Normandy’s docking bay.

“If you don’t want to risk this, you may disembark.” Shepard’s voice warned “Make it quick though.”  
Not a soul on the ship stirred. Kaidan was in the co-pilot’s seat, and Chloe was just behind.  
“Alright Joker, ready?”   
“Yes Sir!”  
“Take us out. Quickly.” Shepard sat down in one of the spare seats on the flight deck with a sigh.   
“We just stole the Normandy.” Kaidan commented, not exactly sounding repentant.  
“Second time for some.” Chloe added looking at Joker.  
“Really?”  
“Had to prove to them I was the best pilot.” He shrugged “It worked.”  
“Plot a course to Ilos, let’s get this stuff done.”   
“Going to be a 24 ht jump Shep, you might all get some rest.” Joker replied punching in some numbers and stuff that Chloe had no idea about.  
“Ok, I will be in my quarters.” Shepard paused a half grin on his face, “Liara said to let you know if you want a quiet room, Chloe, you can have hers tonight.”  
“Ok.” Chloe nodded understanding that they were being offered space.  
“Shep…. We will get this done, we will beat Saren.” She said her gaze unwavering “I believe you can.”  
“Thanks. Get some rest people, it’s an order.”  
“Yes sir.”

After he left Joker glanced at Chloe.  
“What was all that about Liara’s room?”  
“You don’t know?”  
“Know what?” Joker was confused  
“Any money guessing Liara will spend the night in Shepard’s cabin.” Chloe said with a smirk.  
“Oh.” Joker replied as Kaidan shook his head.  
“Which means she gave me her room, so I could have some privacy…”  
“Oh.” Joker sighed “Don’t worry I will be up here enjoying the view.”  
“Sorry Joker.” she remembered what she overheard at her house that day. “I am actually tired though so sleep in a quiet room sounds good.”  
“Yeah sleep sounds good.” Kaidan said “You be ok on your own up here?”  
“Like I would keep you two apart, I am not evil.” Joker sighed.  
“No, you are a good friend.” Chloe planted a kiss on Jokers head before she left the room “thank you.”  
“I will be fine, Kaidan, go look after her. Ilos is not going to be pretty.”

Kaidan found Chloe talking to Liara in the mess, quietly in a corner. Liara nodded a few times, throwing a furtive glance at Shepard who was sitting at the table.  
“That… can’t be a good thing..” Kaidan slid in next to Shepard.  
“Huh?” Shepard was staring at a meal bar, and drinking some of the coffee Chloe had brewed when they got back.   
“You ok Shep?”  
“Fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance, they lock me out of my ship and tell me to relax.” he sighed “Why does it all fall down and I am the only one holding any of it together?”  
“You aren’t alone Patrick Shepard.”Kaidan pointed out “Every last person on this ship is with you. Some of us will walk into hell with you, you know that.”  
“Thanks. I know.” Shepard glanced at Liara “There is a lot to risk this time Kaidan, too much…. Maybe I should never have…”  
“Deny yourself love?” Kaidan said dropping his voice down so they couldn’t be overheard “Shepard even us marines deserve some kind of future something to fight for.”  
“Is Chloe worth it?”  
“I would fight through hell itself to get back to her.” Kaidan replied sincerely.  
“Might have to before this is done.” Shepard said “and that is what makes me wonder if I am doing the wrong thing.”  
“No, from the moment you saved Ash from the beacon, you did the right thing.”  
“Just remind me of this sometimes, it looks grim from here.”  
“Aye aye.” Kaidan replied with a smile.

They managed to sleep a little before the nightmare woke Chloe.   
“Chloe?” Kaidan was right next to her.  
“Shit.” Chloe said her voice strained “Did I hit you?”  
“No you… you cried out again.”  
“Oh… what exactly?”  
“I think.. Let me go was the main part.” Kaidan rubbed her back “Want to tell me the dream?”  
“Nightmare.” she replied “I don’t even know where to start.”  
“Ok anywhere is good, I am not going anywhere.”   
Liara’s room was quiet.  
“It comes from the reason I joined spec ops… you know I told you that N school tends to pick the people who have made the hard choices?”   
“Yeah.”Kaidan nodded.  
“Well, I was just a normal soldier doing normal soldier business when I was kidnapped.” she shook her head trying to settle thoughts “They were Cerberus.”  
“We had some run-ins with them.” Kaidan replied.”Not a good group.”  
“Humanity first, their most public face anyhow, what they do behind closed doors however, is experiment on people.”  
Kaidan tightened his arm around her.  
“There was a full squad they .. kidnapped. I was just one of the many.” Chloe pushed her hand through her hair, “I could name my squad Kaidan, they were great people. I was not the leader, until our leaders turned up dead. Cerberus started with them, but let them die in the cells.”  
“Sorry.” he had no other word.  
“I am not sure exactly what they were testing, none of us wanted to find out, we took a vote, they decided I was in charge.”  
“Democratic.”  
“Heh only promotion i have earned that way.” she grimaced “I split us into four groups, figuring one group would escape, maybe get help.”  
“Logical.”  
“It didn’t work. We had a tech, he did the same kind of work around you did for coms, one by one they went dark; my group made it out.” she paused then looking at him.  
“There is a but isn't there?”  
“I had Alliance come pick us up, they wanted to know if they should destroy the facility.” she licked her lip “There was still people in there, my people. Not to mention non-cerberus employees; I know if it had been left they would have repeated the same experiments. So I ordered it.”  
“And it haunts you?”   
“Those kinds of choices always do.” Chloe sighed “I was tagged for N school after the inquest. They.. cleared me Kaidan, of all charges, and freaking promoted me when I got 20 marines killed.”  
“If you hadn’t ordered it…”  
“Cerberus would have done the same thing again.”  
“Any ideas on the experiments?” he asked  
“Hindsight is beautiful - they used some kind of toxin, testing its effects on people and… oh my god…” she sat bolt upright “Our leaders were not just tossed back into the cells to die, they were… infected.”  
“That seems like Cerberus.” Kaidan replied grimly.  
“After we are done saving the galaxy, i need to report that to my bosses, they.. There has been some unusual symptoms among the survivors.”  
“What about you?”  
“Me? No, I am resilient to almost everything.” she said quietly then frowned “You don’t think that is because of that do you?”  
“I don’t know but it is reassuring.”  
“It is?”  
“Yeah you won't go and die on me, from an unknown pathogen.”  
“Silver lining i guess?” Chloe replied, Kaidan pulled her closer.  
“You made a hard decision, Chloe, none of it was your fault, you didn’t ask to be kidnapped.”  
“Thanks Kaidan.”she leaned into his hug with relief “Can’t promise I won't have nightmares, but at least now you know why.”  
“Do you see what Shepard sees?” He asked then concern edged into his voice.  
“Some nights. I just wake up confused, however.” she shook her head again “I have seen the warning the beacon gave him; it just didn't make sense to me because I don’t have the cypher, or the understanding that Liara gave him.”  
“Right.” Kaidan seemed to be relieved “I hope we make it this time, but Chloe…”  
“If Shepard picks you to go with him Kaidan… don’t do anything stupid… and make sure you come back to me.


	12. Ilos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to stop Saren.

"We do have stealth systems engaged?" Chloe was sitting behind Joker and could see the hundreds of geth ships.  
"Of course." Joker's reply was accompanied by a mutter under his breath.  
"The nearest drop zone is a long waý from our target." Navigator Pressly stated, Chloe was happy to let them do the math.   
"We need to be closer." Shepard was standing just behind Joker, "we have to stop Saren."  
"There is no-where closer."   
"Keep looking." Shepard ordered.  
"There.." Liara said pointing to the map.   
"It isn't enough space." Pressly replied tersely.  
"I can do it." Joker stated.  
"Joker?" Shepard asked carefully.  
"I can do it, land the mako right there." Joker was certain.   
"That's what we do then." Shepard nodded at Joker "Kaidan, get Tali, grab your gear ready to go."  
"But Shep…." Liara began to reply, Shepard raised his hand to stop her.  
"Liara, you and I both know we don't have time."  
"For me to get side tracked." She sighed " you are right, of course."  
"Tell Kaidan to be careful…" Chloe looked at her brother and sighed " you too ok?"   
"Ok, keep watch, get help if shit hits the fan…." He sighed "and stay safe."   
"Aye-aye." Chloe saluted. "Good luck."   
Shepard left and the tension went up as they waited for the go ahead to drop the mako.   
"I can't watch this." Liara said as Joker adjusted the screen and made it easier to watch the camera.   
"Get Garrus up here." Chloe suggested "we need his weapons skill,"   
"I will get him." Liara said "this is more than I wish to view. "  
"Liara ?"   
"I cant watch Shepard get himself into and out of hell." Her voice was shaky, Chloe sighed and quickly took a data pad out and wrote down the coordinates for both the Mu relay and for Ilos before handing it to Liara.   
"Liara, just keep your coms close in case we need you,   
"Yes, of course." Liara rubbed her head.  
"Don't worry, Liara. Shepard knows his stuff." Chloe reassured her..  
"Thank you. I know this is just as difficult for you too, Chloe."  
"Im a marine. It is what we are trained for." Chloe replied, already set up in the co - pilot's seat. “But we do think about things later so I guess it will be.”  
After Liara left, Joker adjusted the viewer and checked in with Shepard.  
“Hope you are ready?”  
“As much as we can be.” Shepard replied “Drop us Joker.”  
“Good luck Commander.”

They watched as Ilos unfolded, the unlocking of the door, the broken message, and the rows upon rows of containers.  
“What are they?”Joker leaned in to look closely.  
“I can guess.” Chloe replied “I think they are stasis pods, we are looking at what is left of the Protheans.”  
“Damn.”  
“A trap?”Chloe’s voice betrayed how stressed she was and Joker looked up from the screen to see her worried expression.  
“Not from Saren, or they would be dead?”  
“And Saren wasn’t caught in it, so it is not automated defense.” Chloe replied.  
“Yeah, look.” Joker pointed as Shepard, Kaidan and tali took a lift down further into the ruins.  
“Gods, so many stasis pods… did they… all die there?”   
“Well, I guess that they hoped to sleep past the reapers.”   
“Reasonable plan but…” she stopped talking as the Prothean VI Vigil started to explain what was going on.  
“The conduit is a backdoor into the citadel.”  
“Holy.” Joker exclaimed “Do we wait here or?”  
“They are going to attack the citadel, and wait on Saren to open the door for Sovereign.” Chloe gasped “We need to contact Admiral Hackett.”  
“You can from there - here.” Joker got up and shuffled over to where Chloe was, intending to help her make the call. As he leaned in a slight shift of the Normandy made him lose balance.  
“Joker?”Chloe asked the man, gently “Are you ok?”  
“Yeah, just,.. Let me enjoy being near you for a second.”He replied, his voice soft.  
“Silly.” Chloe said then, but fell silent when he turned to face her  
“Yeah I know it is.” He replied, almost sadly “Wrong time, too late.”   
He finished punching in the key to set up a call to Hackett, and went to move away.  
“Joker?”   
“Sorry Chloe.”   
“I…. didn’t know…” she replied as he turned back towards her. “I’m sorry.”  
“One thing and I will move away and never mention it.” He hated himself but he wanted to kiss her and there were few opportunities where Kaidan would actually let him near her.  
“What?” Chloe asked looking up at him, without hesitating he leaned in and kissed her, like a man who had only one dying wish. Chloe hesitated but to his surprise she returned the kiss.  
“Damn it Joker.” she said with a sigh “You are complicating my life.”  
“Sorry.” he paused “But if we don’t make it out of this, I didn’t want to have that regret.”  
“I know.” she nodded “But back to work.”  
Joker noted the blush, and it made him feel better, he had not imagined the slight attraction between them but Kaidan had indeed gotten Chloe first, and he was enough of a friend that a stolen kiss would keep him when the fate of the galaxy was in the balance.

Garrus chose that moment to slip into the flight deck,   
“You guys okay?”  
“Yeah. Can you handle guns? We are going to need them to fight Sovereign.”  
“Ok.” Garrus sat down behind Joker and proceeded to take over weapons.   
“Teamwork will make this happen. I need to talk to Admiral Hackett.” Chloe said, switching the tone of her voice to a marine, Garrsu had trouble not laughing and Joker was also struggling to keep a straight face throughout the whole call to the Admiral.  
“Admiral Hackett?”  
“Major..”  
“We have a problem, a big one.” Chloe quickly outlined the situation and the Admiral gave one terse nod.  
“We were expecting something, Anderson informed me of where you were headed in a stolen ship.”   
“Sir…”  
“It’s fine.” Hackett half smiled “Your brother has a few things to do with that.”  
“He is on Ilos Sir, they are going to go through the conduit.” Chloe confirmed what was evident “As soon as we are certain his signal is at the citadel we will jump there.”  
“No. Meet the fifth fleet at the Arcturus relay, we will be ready and waiting for the order to go in. “  
“Sir I think Saren means to lock the relays down..”   
“Then it is on Shepard to unlock them.”  
“Yes Sir.”   
“Is Joker there?”  
“Yes Admiral.”  
“You realise it is two times stealing the same ship?” The Admiral said with a laugh “You ready to take on this beast?”  
“Do or die Admiral, if we don’t win the end of the galaxy as we know it is upon us.”  
“I get the picture Lieutenant,” Hackett waited a moment, talking to someone behind them.  
“Major,you said Commander Shepard will signal you when he is through?”  
“We are about to tell him to do so sir.”  
“We need you back here ASAP, if he locks down the relays…”  
“Ah shit.”Joker said, beginning to plot a system jump to Arcturus.  
“We will be there soon sir.”  
“Good. Hackett out.”

“Shepard?” Chloe asked, calling the group in the mako.  
“He’s busy, what’s wrong Chloe?”  
“We are falling back to Arcturus… hit them where it hurts on the Citadel, once you have everything unlocked we will be able to talk to you and come back through if you need us.”  
“Aye aye. Good luck.”  
“You too.”  
As soon as Kaidan’s voice fell silent Joker announced the trip, turning the Normandy away from Ilos and heading for Arcturus.  
“Why are we leaving them?” Liara came forward sitting in the seat behind Chloe.  
“ We aren’t.” Chloe replied while Joker focused “The conduit is a backdoor into the citadel.”  
“Oh. I see.” Liara paused “So Saren is going to hand us over to the Reapers.”  
“That would be his plan. Shepard will stop it though.” Chloe tried to sound certain.  
“We will not give up Liara.” Garrus interjected “We will fight Sovereign.”  
“I know it is just…” she shook her head.   
“Relay in five.” Joker said beginning the countdown.  
“Geth ship’s starting to move.” Garrus pointed “I.. no this is not good..”   
“Hope we get through before they do.” Chloe added.  
“Sovereign and the rest are about to jump to the Citadel.”  
“Spirits help us.” Garrus replied as they cleared through to Arcturus.

Arcturus was a hive of activity as the fifth fleet scrambled.  
“Will they make it in time?”Garrus asked as he watched ships fly around them.  
“Yeah, we do training drills for things like this.” Chloe confirmed.  
“Any chance the turians will be ready?” Joker asked Garrus.  
“You mean in defending the citadel? Most likely not, they don’t like to listen when things are off plan.”Garrus replied sourly.  
“It’s hard to get anyone to listen, Garrus, but we will try.”  
They fell into silence, waiting for the communication with the citadel to open up.

“Shepard? Commander Shepard? Commander, so help me that better be you.” Joker said when it finally opened.  
“It’s me Joker.”  
“I have the whole fifth fleet here, just waiting for the relays to open, give the word and we will come in and help.”  
“The Destiny Ascension needs help.” Shepard replied “the council is on board and they are in a bad place.”  
“On our way.”   
“Thanks Joker.”  
“Admiral Hackett, the rel;ay is open, the geth ships and Sovereign are already at the citadel, and the Destiny Ascension is under attack. We need to save the council.” Chloe relayed “that comes from Shepard.”  
“Save the Ascension no matter the cost.” Hacketts order came through as Joker made the jump to citadel space, surrounded by the fifth fleet.  
“Spirits..” Garrus breathed, firing on the geth ships that were attacking the Ascension.   
“I hope Shepard knows what he is doing.”   
The cost was going to be huge for the Alliance, but Chloe knew there were 10,000 on the Ascension, and it was better to save that 10,000 crew, plus the council, and then proceed.  
“Ward arms are opening up.”  
“Stay on the Ascension.” A few minutes more and the Destiny Ascension was cleared.  
“You are clear to retreat Ascension.” Joker relayed with a sigh of relief.

“All ships target Sovereign, bring that monster down.” Admiral Hackett’s voice commanded. Chloe glanced at the monitor to see where the others were at. They were fighting Saren again.  
“Ah…” Chloe stared at the screen“How is … oh my god..”   
The others glanced at the screen briefly.  
“So Saren was rebuilt by Sovereign, and Sovereign can now control him?” Joker asked.  
“Yeah.” Chloe replied “Looks that way.”  
“Awesome.” Garrus said “That won’t give anyone nightmares.”  
Joker sighed, took a dive towards Sovereign  
“Let's make sure he can’t do that to anyone else.”  
The Normandy, weaved and ducked around the monster, allowing Garrus to fire the guns and make some calculated hits. It did not take long until the battle turned.  
“Look, his shield is down!” Chloe said pointing “Lets get him.”  
Garrus nodded, lined up a shot and took it as the rest of the fleet did what they could.  
Finally, Sovereign exploded, flinging pieces out into the citadel.  
“Damn.” Chloe muttered “ That was close to home”  
“Your Apartment?”  
“Yeah.” she shook her head “Guess I am lucky I am not home.”  
“How is Shepard doing?”  
She looked down as another piece flew away from Sovereign.  
“Shit.”  
“What?”  
“Right on top of the council chambers where Shepard is…” her voice betrayed her “I hope they are okay.”  
With Sovereign dead, Joker cruised into the docking area with the Normandy, nodding as Chloe extracted herself form the group moving fast.  
“Why is she in a hurry?” Garrus asked from behind.   
“She has a vested interest in two people who last she saw were in danger.”   
“Ah.” Garrus nodded “Not to mention her apartment which is a shame.”  
“You really think our people are okay?”  
“Joker, Shepard survives being shot at all the time. “  
“True but that was not a large lobster arm benign flung at him.”  
“What is a lobster?” Garrus asked “ I am certain Shepard is fine.”  
“If you say so.” Joker sighed.


	13. Lost Count

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They wait for Shepard to turn up, and deal with the fallout.

The citadel was trashed, the presidium was burning, but Chloe moved as fast as she could to find them.  
“Major slow down.” Anderson’s voice called her and she stopped.  
“I need to find them.”  
“I am on my way to do just that.” He placed a hand on her arm “I know that they are important to you.”   
“They are my family.” she looked up at him “Even Tali, she’s like a sister.. I can’t .. I won’t lose any of them,”  
“Ok but i need you to wait here, you can meet them when I get them out, ok? I don’t need more people getting hurt in there.”   
“Alright.” Chloe agreed with a sigh “But please hurry.”  
She retreated a bit back from the entry to the council area, which was worse than wrecked, large pieces of jagged metal stuck through the floor and leered up in an evil grin.

For lack of anything else to do, she started to draft a letter to her insurance agent regarding her apartment. Then realised she needed to see the damage. Never sure if her neighbours would have made it or if Saren just shot everyone he saw. There were plenty of geth parts around and a few empty keeper terminals. Chloe could see that there were bodies near the embassies, the lovely asari who kept everything in order at the front desk was lying dead on it, she knew her sister worked across at the Consort, and she wondered how she fared. It was sad to consider lives that were shortened by senseless violence.  
She knew there would be more. She sighed. Wishing now she had dragged someone with her.

Her omnitool pinged.  
“Major, we have Alenko and Tali.” Anderson’s voice informed her, “having them bought back towards you. They will need medical evaluation.”   
“Shepard?” she said confused.  
“Not yet. We will keep looking.”  
Chloe was not ready to let go of her brother, it was too simple for him to die at the end of the fight like this. Not to mention it was not really the end. She sighed, frustrated, looking up to see two c sec officers guiding Tali and Kiadan towards where she was.  
“Tali! Kaidan!” Chloe gasped, there was blood, and dirt, and from what she could see both of them were suitably exhausted.   
“Rest here. Let us get a medic.” The officer said kindly.  
Chloe waited til he left, and looked at them both.  
“Who’s blood?”  
“Not mine.” Tali confirmed gesturing to a cut on Kaidan’s arm. “He pushed me down.”  
“Kaidan!” Chloe was instantly next to him.  
“Sorry about the heroics.” he gave her a crooked smile.  
“Hell I don’t care, as long as you are both here..” it was the words that silenced her and she looked at the ground.  
“Where is Shepard?” Tali asked “How come he wasn’t… first?”  
“They haven’t found him yet.” Chloe replied blankly.  
“Chloe…” Kaidan tried to move closer to her “He’s got to be ok I am sure..”  
“Kaidain, sit down. Let the medic have a better look at that arm.” She was worried about them all at this point.  
“Tali are you sure you aren’t hurt?”  
“I am sure.” Tali replied, “ More shaken than hurt.”  
“I can’t even imagine.” Chloe shook her head “I didn’t do much and it wore me out.”  
“You guys got the fleet.” Kaidan said “without that…”  
“Yeah. I know.”   
“We lost a lot too.” A voice said that they knew well.  
“Shepard!”Chloe ran to her brother and embraced him, he winced slightly but hugged her back. “Don’t ever do that shit again.”  
“Which part?”  
“Not being found, not coming back alive.. I don’t know but …”  
“I made you worry?” He looked at Chloe in awe. “I don’t think I have ever had family who worry about me before.”  
“Well.. you do now.” she gestured at the others “Not to mention a crew who care for you just about as much.”  
Kaidan looked up from where he was being bandaged.  
“Shepard, it is good to see you.”

“The battle for the citadel cost us eight cruisers, and 2,400 crew, the Turians lost 20 cruisers, with 6,000 crew.” Shepard said as they limped back to the Normandy. “I hope the cost is worth it… but..”  
“It may not be?”   
“We might have just annoyed the single most powerful enemy we have.”  
“The Reapers.” Chloe murmured.  
“Yeah.” Shepard sighed “I need some sleep, and I think Kaidan and Tali need to be looked over.”  
“So do you.” Chloe retorted “You need to go see the doc and get her to check you over for injuries.”  
“Alright, fine. “  
“Then we get a break - sort of. I have to front up to the navy and talk them through the crap that just happened. “  
“Arcturus or Earth?”  
“Earth.”  
“We will see. I might just stay on the shiip”  
“Come see my parents.” Kaidan suggested to Chloe “I … told them about you.. They want to meet you.”   
“ok.” Chloe said,”It’s a plan.”


	14. Back to Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A return to the old and the experience of the new. Earth.

“Feels like an age since we were here.” Kaidan said as they landed at the Alliance docks.  
“Longer for me.” Chloe commented, strange expression on her face.  
“Well, let’s hope that the tribunal is understanding and we get back to looking for ways to take down the reapers.” Pat Shepard responded.  
They were all on the flight deck behind Joker as he landed.  
“Your taxi has arrived” Joker replied “ Please be careful on the way out.”  
“Real funny Joker.” Shepard shook his head  
“I try.” he paused, “Where are Garrus, Tali, and Liara staying?”  
“Not sure.” Shepard shook his head, “I will make sure though - they deserve good accommodation.”  
“Don’t worry Shepard,” Liara stepped up onto the flight deck. “I have everything under control, the three of us are sharing a suite at a hotel near the Alliance base. Captain Anderson arranged it.”  
“As soon as we are cleared. Kaidan is that your mom?” Shepard leaned against the window and waved back to a woman who was waving at them frantically from the window of the terminal. Kaidan covered his face, embarrassed a little.  
“Yeah it is.”  
“Don’t worry. It’s cute.” Chloe replied laughing.  
“Mom and Dad are going to pick us up.” Kaidan replied glancing at Chloe who could still see the toll of the last fight.   
“Okay, no time like the present for meeting in-laws right Chloe?” Shepard replied.  
“I forgot that it would also involve you.” Kaidan murmured.  
“Our battle is over, we can just announce it?” Chloe looked at Shepard hopefully.  
“You aren’t embarrassed to have me as your brother?”  
“Don’t be an idiot.” Chloe replied “Your name gets me free drinks.”  
“Going to change your name?”  
“I… “ Chloe paused and glanced at Kaidan “I don’t know, I have to think about it.”  
“We are cleared.” Joker yelled.

The walk through the checkpoints was quiet, Kaidan took her hand and held onto it for dear life, and Chloe began to wonder who was more nervous - him for bringing her home or her for meeting his family.  
“Kaidan, it will be ok.”  
“Huh?”  
“You are hanging on for dear life… I am not going anywhere. Your family would have to be pretty weird for that to happen.”  
“That’s the thing.” Kaidan shook his head “Aside from biotics, and topics around that, my family are… normal.”  
“Normal is good.” Chloe reminded him.  
“I hope so.”  
“It will be fine.”

As they exited the area and stood waiting, Shepard stood straighter, and behind Chloe and Kaidan. Chloe sighed, he was really embracing the brother role.  
“Mr and Mrs Alenko?” Chloe asked shyly of two approaching individuals. One in a flowery dress, and the other in simple slacks and a polo shirt.  
“Yes… that’s us..” the man replied.  
“Kaidan!” His wife screamed loudly with glee.   
“Mom.” Kaidan gave his family a hug and Chloe stood awkwardly to one side. Not used to family in general and not used to the hugging.  
“Mom, Dad, this is Chloe.” Kaidan pulled Chloe close to him, somehow sensing how nervous she was. “Shepard’s twin.”  
“Twin?”his dad looked from the girl to the man standing behind them waiting on an introduction, surprised “But you don't look…”  
“Oh non-identical twins!” His mother gasped “you still have the twin things?”  
“Some.” Chloe acknowledged “But we grew up without knowing each other.”  
“Mom, Dad, this is Shepard.”  
“Commander.” the gentleman saluted and Patrick gave an easy smile.   
“Hi, thanks for looking after these two while we are here.”  
“Of course.” Kaidan’s mother stated “How long will you be here?”  
“No more than a week. Hopefully.” Shepard sighed “Otherwise your guess is as good as mine.”  
“Are you here for a hearing?” Alenko’s dad fell into an easy conversation with Shepard about what was going on.  
“Are you a marine too Chloe?” Kaidan’s mom asked.  
“Yes Ma’am.”   
“Don't call me ma’am - Rebecca or Bec will do.” she smiled and Chloe had a feeling it might take her a while to get used to Kaiadan’s family. “Call him Greg, it is easier to use first names right?”  
“Yes ma…. Bec.” she frowned, it sounded weird but it would do.  
“Mom, stop scaring her.” Kaidan said, returning behind Chloe. “Plus we need to get out of here before the traffic gets bad.”  
`Well, we need to extract your father from talking to Shepard.” Chloe pointed at the conversation which had shifted to Alliance protocol and then to guns.  
“Done.” Bec Alenko winked. She sidled up to her husband and leant over and whispered in his ear.  
“Oh!” Greg Alenko nodded at his wife. “Terrible sorry Commander, my wife tells me it is time to go. You will have to come for dinner one night.”  
“Bring Liara.” Kaidan added and Shepard grinned at them.   
“Ok Sis, be good.”   
“How long did you wait to say that?”  
“Well once i found out about you…”  
“You had better take care too Pat.” she nodded to the man who shrugged and hugged her.  
“Gotta go Shep.” she muttered.  
“I know. Go on.” he let go and patted her on the head. 

The trip to the car was a shock for Kaidan’s parents, the two soldiers each had a small bag with them and neither weighed that much.  
“You really travel that light?”  
“Well, I don’t know what Kaidan has told you on how I arrived on ship..” Chloe said quietly.  
“Not much.” Kaidan cut in “Some of the stuff is classified after all.”  
“Yeah, we can talk about it later.” Chloe said “I am free from classified now Saren is gone.”  
“Good.” Kaidan couldn’t hide his relief.  
“Until I get reassigned at least.” she looked at her hands “I let my superiors know I would rather stay on the Normandy.”  
“Will they let you? I mean…” Kaidan’s father’s eyes flicked up to the mirror where they were sitting in the back of the sky car, holding hands.  
“I … “ Chloe sighed “Look, we were always very professional on ship. This… “   
The line had been blurred even on the ship and the rest had bigger concerns, but now they would have to find a normal.   
“We will adjust.” Kaidan said quietly “You will understand later I think.”  
Nodding his dad cut through the traffic to turn off the main through road.  
“We are going to the harbour?”  
“You didn’t tell her?” Bec asked leaning forward, looking forward to home no doubt.  
“My folks have a condo on the bay.”  
“Oh.” Chloe was silent, and Kaidan glanced at her with concern - she looked worried.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“This area… the Reds… “ she shook her head as if clearing it “Its fine. Just memories.”  
“I’m here.” he held her hand tighter “Not going anywhere.”   
They drove into the complex, the locked gate making Chloe relax some and parked the car in the garage.  
“End of the line all out!”Greg Alenko said, almost sounding like Joker.  
“Thank you.” Chloe was trying to recall how normal people did things and she was pretty sure thank you was right.  
“Kaidan, take her up, same code…”  
“Mom!”  
“I know I keep meaning to change it but…”  
“We will talk security later.” Kaidan said “Let's head up Chloe.”  
They traveled in peaceable silence, up the elevator and across the second to top floor.  
“Wow.” Chloe gasped at the view from the window in the hall.  
“Wait until you see the balcony.” he replied as he punched the code in, shaking his head as he did so.  
“Kaidan, how long has it been the same code?” Chloe asked, confused.  
“Since I was in junior high.”  
“Oh good grief.” Chloe replied “Anyone could have… come inside..“   
“Yep, but my mom is… not good at changing tech.” Kaidan shook his head then looked around at the apartment “Or anything else.”  
“How long since you were home?”  
“Longer than I want to admit. Since after BaAt.”  
“Sorry.”   
“Not really anything, it is just weird. Let me see if my room is there.” He pushed the door open and grinned “Seems they have changed one thing.”  
“Drop our bags in?”  
“Yes. My mum changed the bed, its a queen size now versus a single.”  
“Even sharing a single would be better than sleeper pods.”  
The main door opened as she said the last sentance.  
”I would never be so cruel..” Bec Alenko said, pushing the door open all the way, Greg Alenko was behind her with bags of shopping. “We had to get groceries from next door.”  
“I was the mule.” Greg muttered, dropping the bags on the bench.  
“If there is anything I can do to help, Ma’am.” Chloe asked.  
“What did I tell you? Call me Bec.” She grinned when Chloe blushed “I only want you two to relax.”  
“She means it.” Greg Alenko said looking up “She bought a new bed for Kaidan’s room, made sure there was enough supplies for the two of you.”  
“To share?” Kaidan asked, checking.  
“To share a room, yes.” His father laughed “What you do with it is your business.”.  
“Just to be sure: you aren't faking a relationship or anything?”  
This made Kaidan look at Chloe and bite back a smile “No mom, I love Chloe.”  
“Good. Then I don’t have to worry about that”  
“Would it be okay if I had a rest before dinner?”Chloe felt suddenly exhausted.  
“You ok?”  
“Didn’t get much sleep last night. Was on late watch.”   
“Eat something first.” Kaidan said, passing over an energy bar.  
“Thanks.”  
“Oh. You are a biotic too?”  
“Yes, though I don’t get headaches like an L2…” Chloe glanced at Kaidan who shook his head slightly “It can be hard to keep up with eating.”  
Chloe handed the empty wrapper to Kaidan and went into his room, closing the door most of the way before she sat down on the floor, she was more exhausted with all the new people, than actually tired, she could still hear them in the other room.

“Bec.” Greg Alenko’s voice was warning his wife.  
“Another Biotic… Kaidan…”  
“It doesn’t kill you mum.” Kaidan replied quietly “And there is more to her than her Biotics.”  
“I…” Rebecca Alenko looked somewhere between annoyed and guilty “I just don’t know what to do with biotics..”  
“Feed them more,” Kaidan offered “Mom it isn’t like it was when I was younger, they are a lot more understanding of it now and…”  
“And they still kill people… with just thoughts and…”  
“So does shooting someone.” Kaidan replied tersely.  
“With all the problems we had with you..”  
“Mom…” this is why he had avoided coming home. “You know full well i serve in the Alliance now. I am not going to go randomly hitting someone with my biotics, as well as having control of them.”  
“Control…” she shook her head, miserably. “That is what they told us in the first place. I need a rest.” 

“Sorry Kaidan.” Greg offered a shrug “I have been trying to whittle away at that anger and bitterness for some time now. It is just so hard for her.”  
“Harder for me.” Kaidan observed, “And way harder for Chloe.”  
“Do I know Chloe’s family?” his dad asked, his expression saying he was trying to think of a family named Shepard.  
“No.” Kaidan paused “She grew up on the streets, she has no family.”  
“Gods.” Greg replied glancing in the direction of his wife “Makes your mother’s words all the worse.”  
“I am sure Chloe heard everything.” Kiadan sighed “this argument, doesn’t it get old?”

“I guess it does.” Greg sighed “Your mother she… thinks she failed you.”  
“Because I was born with biotics?”  
“Yes.” he shook his head with a sigh “It doesn’t make sense to me.”  
“I get it.” Kaidan sat down on the sofa, it was an open plan layout, one he had always appreciated as a kid.  
“Then you shut down when you came back from BaAt.” His dad pointed out “We didn’t know why, or how to help you.”  
“And Ive not been home since I joined up.” Kaidan replied quietly “That is why though. Avoiding confrontation is… well.”  
“How about we all have a rest before dinner.” His father nodded to the door that was slightly ajar.  
“Shit.” Kaidan shook his head.” Ok I am going. Dad?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Good luck?”   
“You too Son.. why we do this to ourselves…”  
“You love her.” Kaidan replied with a grin pushing open the door to his old room and nearly tripping over Chloe who was asleep against the bed but sitting on the floor.


	15. Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinner is meant to be a peaceful reunion - but the fate of the galaxy is looming in everyone's minds now.

Two days later and the Alenko's fell into asn easy pattern, as long as biotics were not mentioned everything else was fine. They even managed to catch up with Tali and Liara, do a little shopping and actually relax. Then Kaidans mom suggested inviting everyone for dinner. They managed to tell her about Tali's food requirements and were surprised when she declared herself fit for the challenge.  
Family dinner she called it.

Shepard arrived in the early afternoon , still in dress blues he cut a striking image.  
"Seriously when they said panel they meant inquisition." He flopped into a chair dramatically ."Shepard, really that bad?" Chloe was in an N7 hoodie and relaxed.  
"Yeah." He paused and shook his head " they are going to sweep it under the carpet."  
"But...the Reapers?"  
"I know." Pat sighed frustrated " we can only follow orders and make noise."  
"About?" Gtef Alenko came in with beer for them all, even Chloe and sat down to listen.  
"We should tell you anyhow." Kaidan said sadly “Things are going to get bad.”  
“ How bad?”  
“ Take the view of the city from that window,” Shepard pointed grimly “ And that will be decimated, gone. All the people with it.”  
“ You had better start from the beginning,” Greg said quietly then “ Wait let me get Bec.”  
“ Mom, sit down. This might take a while” Kaidan pulled one of the dining chairs over for her to sit on next to his dad.  
“What is going on?” Bec sat down, taking her glass of wine with her.  
“Well, Ma’am.” Shepard started, “You understand what we have been doing the last few months?”  
“ Not really, I..” she glanced at Kaidan “ Owe my son a ton of apologies for not writing, and not reading his letters.”  
“ Oh.” Chloe said, touching the back of Kaidan’s shoulder where he sat on the floor in front of her.  
“Well.” Shepard stood and began to pace “ I am a council spectre, which came about because Eden Prime was attacked.”  
“ Eden Prime? But thats…” Bec began and closed her mouth, she knew the galaxy could change ona dime, her husband served in the Alliance as well.  
“Yeah, it was. Geth and a rogue Spectre we thought at the time.” Shepard continued, “ Attacked and tried to decimate the colony, but we managed to save it.”  
“ Good.” Greg nodded. “ Geth though?”  
“ Yeah, geth.” Kaidan confirmed “ Came with Saren, in a ship - the largest dreadnought, bigger than the destiny ascension.”  
“ Wow. that would be massive.” Greg leaned forward. “ Are you sure it was a dreadnought?”  
“ No it wasn’t a dreadnought, it was a Reaper.” Shepard paused.  
“ A Reaper?” Greg frowned at them “ That isn’t familiar.”  
“ Fifty thousand years ago, the Prothean civilisation disappeared without a trace.” Chloe said quietly “We now know what happened, they were wiped out by the Reapers.”  
“ That ship though, we saw footage from the citadel.. It was.. Immense.” Bec was slowly getting her head around the truth of the situation.  
They continued the story to Noveria, where Chloe stared at them wide eyed.  
“ Rachni?” she gasped “ I mean you mentioned it in passing but, I had no idea..”  
“ Nor did your bosses by the sounds of it.” Kaidan replied “ they sent you in there after Krogan data.”  
“ Noveria is where I joined with them on the Normandy.”  
“ Technically you were loaded on the Normandy, and if Kaidan hadn’t heard your implant you would have been dead when we found you.”  
“ Yeah. I try to forget that. Thanks.” Chloe sighed.  
“So you were an unintentional stow-away?”  
“Yes. I was officially transferred to the Crew after that.” Chloe confirmed.  
“ Ok. So they were using Rachni…?”  
“ It failed, they couldn’t control them.” Kaidan replied “ Shepard freed the queen.”  
“ You did what?” Greg said, shocked “ The Rachni were wiped out by the Krogan…”  
“ And that is why I gave them a chance, because I will be damned before I am responsible for the complete death of a race.” Shepard finished as the doorbell rang.  
“ Let me.” Kaidan was up and at the door before the others could move. “ Liara, Tali, come on in!”  
The break in the conversation, with all the shocks and twists of the past few months was actually welcome.  
“ Liara.” Shepard said with a smile at his girlfriend.  
“ He’s enamoured with you.” Chloe chucked as she made room for Tali to sit next to her. Kaidan returned to his spot on the floor, Liara sat with Shepard.  
“ We were telling them of the last few months, and what we learned.” Chloe explained.  
“ Mom, Liara is an expert on Protheans.” Kaidan added “ So if there are any questions..”  
“ Are the reapers really the reason they were all killed?” Bec Alenko leaned forward when she asked the question.  
“Yes,” Liara glanced at Shepard who shrugged “ I can confirm this, it fits with the research I have done.”  
“ And the vision Shepard had?” Greg asked curious as well as to what it meant for them.  
“ And the vision that Shepard had, I have… seen it as well.” Liara paused and smiled “ I am an Asari, we have a way to .. I guess.. Mind meld with people.”  
“ I see.”  
They continued the story, when it got to Virmire the Alenko’s went quiet.  
Shepard told them about the other beacon, and the conversation with Sovereign.  
“He confirmed that he was a Reaper, the vanguard,- the first of thousands, maybe millions. He was making an army of Krogan and...we had to blow the place up, there was no choice.”  
“ The choice you were then forced to make Commander…” Greg Alenko said quietly “ while I know it was a terribly difficult choice… I… am grateful..”  
“Chloe were you there with them?” Bec asked then looking at the red head across the room, Chloe had placed a hand on Kiadan’s shoulder and not backed off this time, she knew Virmire was a hard topic. That they still grieved for Ashley.  
“No. I was on the ship, I was injured… and um had to sit out.”  
“ I see.” Bec nodded looking at Kaidan with a new sense of awe or pride, Chloe couldn’t tell which.  
They spoke at length about Ilos, since Liara was there with them to identify things and explain the things the others had seen. It was an eye opening discussion for all of them but then they hit on the kicker.  
“So the Protheans made a back door into the Citadel, and changed the codes to stop the Reapers coming when expected.”  
“ Correct, then Sovereign used Saren to get into the citadel.” Shepard continued “ we chased after him.”  
“ And saved the galaxy.” Greg Alenko looked up at Kiadan, this time Chloe knew the look, pride, mixed with fear of what was coming.  
“ So what is next?”  
“ That’s the thing, I was given the orders this morning, can't say where I can say what. They are sending us to get rid of geth.”  
“ Commander…” Kiadan was shocked “ That’s trying to shut us up?”  
“ A good portion of our fleet died saving the destiny ascension, and this is how they want to make us be quiet about what we were fighting. “ Chloe sighed. “ This is why I haven’t been reassigned either.”  
“ No, here.” Shepard threw a package to her, “ your papers.”  
“ Assigned to the Normandy.” Chloe checked “ This is crazy.”  
“What can we do?” Bec asked then looking at the group in her living room “ What can a fairly normal person do to be ready for the Reapers?”  
That made them sit silently for a moment before Kaidan spoke.  
“ Pack as much food, water, and spare blankets and go to the orchard, we don’t know when this will start, only that it is going to.”  
“ If it’s one year, or two… we bought time but how much is debatable.”  
“ And they have you fighting geth.” Greg shook his head.  
“ We will stockpile everything we can think of, maybe get some cows to put in the pastures with the horses, sheep, goats whatever we can handle.” Bec looked at Greg who nodded “ And work on making sure the farm is sustainable. The Reapers will start with high population centres, and if they get that far inland,” she lowered her head “ It means you have failed and it is the end anyhow.”  
“ You think we can do something?”  
“ The Protheans must have had some idea.” Liara frowned “ I need to research this, and soon. Maybe if I get in touch with the Alliance..”  
“ Admiral Hackett.” Chloe said without thinking “ he is the only one I know of who believes the Reapers are real.”  
“ He does?” Kaidan and Patrick both turned to her.  
“ Yes. How do you think I ended up on the Normandy in the first place? Didn’t he order you to let me stay?”  
“ Yes but…”  
“ I was looking into Saren, looking into what he was doing. He was messing with reaper tech from Palavin… and I..”  
“ There is reaper tech on Palavin?”  
“ There was. It was destroyed near the end of the first contact war.”  
“ I had read that, but Saren.. Oh.. Saren Arterius… his brother was a turian self-appointed leader.”  
“ Yes he was one and the same.” Chloe confirmed as both Patrick and Kaidan managed to jump to the same conclusion.  
“ You are saying this has been going on longer than it seems?”  
“ Yes. Part of the situation with Anderson, part of the problem with Khalee Sanders, it was to do with a Batarian who was investigating reaper tech. It is what led Saren to Sovereign in the first place. Cookie crumbs of returning destruction I guess.”  
“Chloe, are you sure?”  
“ Yes it was in my briefing. The kind you burn after you receive it though.” she shrugged at Greg and Bec Alenko “Apologies, I used to spy for the Alliance.”  
“And they just want you chasing geth too?”  
“ Yes.”  
“ Then let's do what Bec suggested and get ready in whatever way we can.” Greg Alenko said with a spark of determination “ I will be loud when I talk to people, maybe we can save lives.”  
“ It’s a start.” Kaidan agreed.  
“Oh! Dinner!” Bec Alenko had been busy typing on her omnitool and then she stood up red faced “ How does pizza sound?”  
“What is pizza?” Tali enquired curiously.  
The rest of the evening was a bit less focused on the end of the world. Kaidan spent most of it just watching Chloe and his parents were watching him.  
In the kitchen as they went to get more drinks for the group. His father cornered his mother with a kiss.  
“ He is really in love with that girl.”  
“ I know.. I hope…”  
“ What’s wrong?”  
“ Am I wrong about biotics?” she asked him “ She seems dangerous enough in other ways, but she is a biotic too.. And I don’t know at this point I should just be glad he found someone he adores.”  
“ That is the right thing Bec, just be happy for them.”  
“ I am. And I am taking to heart what you said the other day about it being different now.”  
“ You can let go Bec, you don't need to keep protecting him, he is not a fragile child, he has a solid character, we did okay you and I… and he has found a woman he adores. I could ask for nothing more.”  
“ Be happy in the now?”  
“ Right, be happy in the now.” He grinned and kissed her cheek again as they turned around back to the room, carrying a serving tray of beer, and a drink for Tali.  
“ Here is to a future we can fight for.”  
“ Here here.”


	16. Red Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past is around them, but who would have known the future was too? (Reunion with an old friend, a stray, and an enemy)

There was some sense of normal to the days they spent at the condo. After the family dinner, Kadan’s parents decided they had to go to the orchard to look things over.  
“You know how to lock up Kaidan, we will see you next time.” His mother said hugging her son tight, the unspoken words of if and when hanging in the air. Bec Alenko hugged Chloe too, Chloe was surprised by the hug.  
“ Thankyou for making my boy happy,” she whispered to Chloe before they left.

“ We have today and tomorrow left.” Kaidan said as he closed the door after they went.”What shall we do.”   
“ You wanted to see where I lived…?”  
“ Only if you want to show me.”  
“ Of course.” Chloe sighed “ I don’t know why I am worried, we are both marines, and I am an N7 for goodness sakes.”   
“ Because the past is actually stronger than it appears.” Kaidan replied.  
“ Ooooh now you are a philosopher.” she laughed “ Seriously though, today?”   
“ Yeah, I mean you took the effort to get dressed…” Chloe was in jeans and a tight singlet with a jacket over the top for modesty.  
“Yes I did, didn't I.” Chloe said trying to sound confident“ Let’s try walking in the park first then.”   
“ Okay.” Kaidan grinned “Let’s go then.”  
When they left the condo, locked the door and headed down towards the water, Chloe stopped at a bench and sighed.  
“Why the sigh?”  
“Do you know how close I was here, look?”she pointed at some faded graffiti on the back of the bench. Underneath the ‘Reds forever’ was carved ‘Chlo was here”  
“Chlo?”   
“Just a kid, didn’t know how to spell, was lucky I knew how to write.” she sighed and grabbed his hand, come on.” She led him in a direction he had never walked around the bay, towards what looked like bushes along the foreshore.  
“I don’t think I have ever been up here.” Kaidan admitted spotting tents hiding far back in the trees. “You slept in here?”  
“It’s one of the safer parts of the bay, or it was.”  
“Who are you?”a voice demanded from behind the bushes.  
“No harm, not to you.” Chloe replied. “Just showing a friend around.”  
“Why?” The voice was bitter, but definitely male, and when the person showed themselves Kaidan was surprised to see a fairly tall teenager in front of them.  
“I used to live here.” Chloe said, raising an eyebrow, the kid was too clean, too well fed to have been on the streets long “How old are you?”  
“I turned 18 soon, and I was kicked out of a shared house for being too old.”  
“Consider joining the marines?” Chloe asked quietly “They saved my butt when I was about your age you know.”  
“Why would they take me?” the boy, stood a half a foot taller than Kaidan, and had tattoos along his arm.   
“Because they like someone with courage.”   
“Courage?”   
“Yeah takes guts to camp out here. Especially alone.” Chloe was trying to assess the boy, see if he was okay. There was no sign of drugs, and no sign of weapons.  
“This is gang territory isn't it?” Kaidan said then.  
“Reds.” the boy confirmed looking around “you aint reds are you?”  
“Heh, I was once, not anymore.”Chloe said “Like I said, the marines saved me when I was your age.”  
“I don’t want to join the gang…” the boy stared at his feet “don’t got much of an option though, who wants a biotic without any skill?”  
“You could learn.” Kaidan said then, “Both of us are biotics, we had to learn to control it, learn to use it to help people.”  
“I could help people?” the boy stared at his hands. “This ain't a trick is it?”  
“Nope, I really was just showing my boyfriend where I used to live.”Chloe confirmed “But if it means we help you, then we can take you to the admissions.”  
“No.. I can go myself, there is a recruiting office just on the other side of the bay.” he looked worried “Who do I mention if they want to cause me problems?”  
“They won’t. However, mention: Major Chloe Halon.”  
There was a sound to their right and a few people emerged, the boy scuttled back a bit, taking cover behind them.  
“You mean they let you make it to major?”  
“No, I mean I earned the rank.” Chloe replied “Hello Bradley.”  
“Chloe.” he paused, throwing a challenging look at Kaidan “And who is the pretty boy?”  
“The pretty boy” Chloe was amused by the description “Is my boyfriend, Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko.”  
“Oooh, little Chloe found love in the Alliance.” The one she had called Bradley said, then glanced at the people around him “What are you miscreants doing here? Get back to work.”  
Kaidan was feeling confused by this point.  
“Sorry Chloe, had to keep up appearances,” Bradley grinned “So introduce me properly?”  
“Right, Kaidan Alenko, Officer Bradley MacIntyre.”Chloe nodded to the kid behind them “Got a new recruit for the marines here, he needs to get to the station.”  
“Not a Red,” Bradley observed looking at him “Too scared. Hey kid?”  
“Not a kid.” the boy stood taller “I turn 18 in a week.”  
“Got a name?”  
“Si,” the boy replied glancing at Chloe “Um Si Halon”  
“Got you there Chloe!”Bradley laughed  
“Si, if you want the name you are welcome to it. In fact I borrowed it from someone myself.” Chloe sighed “but I need to know, do you have a birth name? Are you a run away?”  
“No I don’t know.” he paused “I was dropped at the orphanage when I was an infant so I don’t really know who I am.”  
“Then use my name.” Chloe glanced at Kaidan with a grin “I can adopt you, I don’t have much by way of family as it is.”  
“Why would you do that?”  
“Because you remind me of me. Except I was dumped on the streets.” Chloe sat down on a log, gestured for the others to join her. “I grew up here, slept here, begged for food..”  
“But you are a marine?”  
“I was a Red. So you know, if you feel like you wouldn’t measure up that’s something to remember, I really was not good for the marines. I was however biotic, and I got involved in a large fight, ended up in the hospital - and was recruited from there.”  
“How do you know him?” He pointed at Bradley.  
“I was in the Reds too, we helped each other survive.” Bradley nodded to Kaidan, “I am glad to see she has someone.”  
“I… would like to join the marines.” Si said, “I don’t like being here, it’s hard to find food and..”  
“And you aren't safe.” Bradley nodded, “That's why I am here, so kids like you don’t end up suffering on the streets. I work with the gangs though, it makes it tricky sometimes.”  
“So Si, if I am going to adopt you as family, you need to tell me your birthday, and let me spoil you.” Chloe grinned “Also you should know we have an older brother.”  
“You found him?” Bradley asked, surprised.  
“You would not believe it….” Chloe shook her head just as her coms beeped. “Speak of the devil. Give me a second. Don’t go anywhere!”

“Shepard?”  
“Yeah where are you? I was bored so I went to Kaidan’s place…”  
“Head for the bay, and to the left instead of following the path to t6he right, we are in the bushes near the old slave camp.”  
“The old Reds camp?”  
“Oh.,.. Yeah we called it the slave camp I guess in light of the actual galaxy that's a stupid name. Anyhow I have someone you should meet, we are adopting a sibling.”  
“A sibling?”  
“Um a stray kid, needs family.”  
“Chloe… “ she could hear him shake his head and laugh “Fine, on my way.”  
It took Shepard just a few minutes to get there, and they were still sitting and standing around talking, somehow Chloe had gotten Si to smile a bit, and relax, he was still nervous around the men though.  
“Good grief…” Shepard paused to take in the group “Bradley?”  
“Pat? Patrick Shepard?” Bradley laughed, “Of all the… Chloe is he?”  
“Chloe is my sister…”  
“Shit, you must be twins!” Bradley’s eyes widedned “Chloe didn’t mention that you were the hero of the fucking galaxy!”  
“Oh you heard.”  
“Elysium… the Citadel.. Hell yes.”  
“Bradley is a cop, Pat.” Chloe filled in “Apparently we both knew him.”  
“Oh thank god… thought you might have still been with the reds..  
“Somewhat, mostly just keep an eye on things.” Bradley smiled at Pat.  
“Always was good with kids.” Pat asked “So you found a job where that is useful?”  
“Of course, you were always an ass,” Bradley grinned “Found a job where that is good?”  
“Yeah, he’s still an ass.” Kaidan replied amused.  
“Thanks Kaidan, it’s good to know my friends care.” Shepard huffed.  
“So, I am related to you now?” Si looked at Shepard in awe.  
“Yeah, you picked Chloe as family, so you are mine now too.”Shep grinned and ruffled the boys hair. “Biotic?”  
“You saw the interface, im not good tho… I can’t..” the boy looked down at the ground.  
“Chloe told me you want to join up?” Si nodded.  
“You know it isn’t going to be an easy ride?”  
“I know.” Si shrugged “but this isn’t either is it?”  
“How old are you?”  
“I turn 18 in a week.” Si replied, Shepard nodded “Good timing.  
“Can we get him to the citadel for a party?” Chloe stage whispered.  
“Me? On the Citadel?” the boy’s eyes widened.  
“Yeah, we can, then boot camp.” Shepard grinned “There is a lot we can do for you Si, is that okay?”  
“I.. never had anyone look out for me before.” he looked conflicted and pulled up his omni tool, a piecemeal, made from an older model; obviously custom modded.“I am usually the quiet kid hiding in the back and I mostly looked out for myself… “  
“Wait, you like tech?” the boy nodded and pulled up some files.  
“I want to prove to you I am worth the risk .. to invest.. No not the right word?” he showed his Omnitool to Chloe who nodded and gestured to Shepard.  
“Wow, I am proud of my little brother.” Shepard said placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. His report card, and graduation papers from the high school he had attended pegged him as a straight A student. Having him be kicked out of a share house, was a misery and something that had to change.   
“Well what to do with you now?” Shepard smiled slightly  
“Take him back to the base?” Chloe asked quirking an eyebrow “We are heading to the citadel from here, maybe we can get special permission to take our little brother there.”  
“Do you still have your apartment Chloe?”  
“Yeah, it survived, and is clean and ready for occupancy.” Chloe frowned “My neighbours didn’t make it out so well.”  
“Sorry. I know you knew them.” She shrugged sadly in reply.

Meanwhile Bradley had sidled up to Shepard.  
“Here Pat,” he punched a code into his omni tool and sent some documents over. “Oh and my contact numbers, for both of you.”   
“I have to get going, things to do, superiors to impress. Ah… sorry Chloe..” Bradley grabbed Kaidan and gave him a huge hug and kiss on the lips. “Damn, he really is tasty…”  
“Bradley… mine.. Shoo..” Chloe laughed hugging her friend and nodding when he saluted her. “Go on now.”   
Bradley nodded to Shepard, and turned to leave.  
“Oh Si?”  
“Yes Sir?”  
“If you need anything while you are on earth, I could pretty much pass as an uncle so call me.” Bradley flicked a few buttons on his omni tool and sent a file to Si’s which pinged. “Don’t be a stranger.”  
“Wow he was…”  
“Don’t worry Kaidan, he won’t bite.” Chloe smiled slightly “Also he is very much into men.”  
“Oh.” Kaidan looked bewildered “It’s fine, it wasn’t that, talk about it later.”  
“What was the fuss Pat?”Chloe leaned over to her brother who shrugged.  
“Si’s background info.”  
“He ran a check on me? That fast?”  
“Yes.” Pat replied “He is good at that job I tell you.”  
“Yeah, he is.” Chloe replied with a sigh “I didn’t imagine coming here was going to net me a new sibling, and be this uneventful.”  
“Yeah, they seem to be here less now. Maybe they don’t need to hold the city like they did.”  
They were talking quietly among themselves, Si had packed his small amount of belongings to follow Pat back to the base.

“What do we have here?” a female voice, dripping with anger asked, obviously knowing her answer already “Oh look, the hero of the citadel… and you.”  
“Esme.” Chloe whispered horrified and started to back up grabbing Si and keeping him behind them. “Finch’s girlfriend.”  
“Little Chloe…” Esme was lifting a weapon of some kind and aiming at her. “My man is now in prison, and I can’t visit him or even vid call.”  
“Esme, drop the weapon.” Shepard said it calmly, Kaidan was already glowing ready to protect Chloe if he had to.  
“Oh Shepard….” Esme laughed “Don’t you recall what we had?”  
“Pat?”   
“Not that person anymore Esme.”  
“This is the reds, Patrick, no-one escapes from us. Yes I know you saved the galaxy, it’s rubbish.” Esme spat in Pat’s direction, her gun still aimed at Chloe.   
“Who do I kill first?”  
A fierce cry came from behind Chloe and a burst of blue hit Esme before she could react, pushing her out towards the water, and forcing her into it.  
“Si?” Chloe turned around to see the boy stunned and frightened by what he had done, but also exhausted.  
“Come on.” Kaidan said as he rounded up Si’s belongings and shepherded them along the bay. Shepard watched Esme with a frown.  
“Pat? Shepard?”  
“She can’t swim.”  
“Damnit.” Kaidan replied, sighing. “Chloe take Si back towards the house.”  
Kaidan turned and his biotics flared again, this time to lift the woman out of the water and deposit her at Shepard’s feet.   
“Thanks.” Shepard replied, his tone definitely that of Commander Shepard. “Let me take it from here, keep those two safe.”  
“Aye aye.” Kaidan ran and caught up with Chloe.   
“Kaidan, we need help. Medical help.” Si was almost collapsing and Chloe could barely keep him upright.   
“You don’t use your biotics much do you Si?” Kaidan asked as Si shook his head   
“No Sir, but I couldn’t let..”   
“I know.” It had been a huge push, harder and further than Kaidan had seen from someone in a while. “I got her out of the water and Shepard is dealing with her.”  
“Will he be okay?” Si asked, pained.  
“Yeah, he’s a strong stubborn sort - and he had that look. It will be fine.” Kaidan said as he got Si to sit on the bench.  
“He switched to Commander shepard?” Chloe asked and Kaidan nodded as he called a medic.

The local hospital wanted all kinds of info, until Shepard sauntered in and then they fell about themselves to help. Si was mostly fine, a little malnourished, and his biotics were tapped by the push. The doctors pulled them aside.  
“He is fine, just watch the biotics. He needs to learn to use them, pace them, instead of pushing them all at once.”   
“Yeah he does.” Chloe replied “Tell us what you can of his biotics set up.”  
“He’s an L3.” the doctor confirmed “ no amp.”  
“What?” Kaidan stared at the doctor “But that push was..”  
“He is strong, and he needs to learn to use them. Get him to the System Alliance guys, they have the infrastructure to help train the kid.” the doctor nodded at Shepard “I guess you already have contacts.”  
“How is he doc?” Shepard asked.  
“Better now he has some food in him, it is so strange to see a biotic of his strength who is malnourished.” the man shook his head “must have had an awful upbringing.”  
“Ah yeah.” Chloe replied and shook her head “it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t good.”  
“Well,” the doctor looked at her “He used your name on the paperwork. So I assume you rescued him from the shadows of the Reds.”


	17. Return to work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to the Normandy, and the normal.

Shepard pulled some strings to get permission to take Si to the citadel, and the last plan for their break was to have a party for his 18th birthday. Chloe was gone most of the day, and came back with a document that made Shepard laugh, it was an official adoption certificate, signed, dated a few days back, and listing her as Si’s adopted mother.  
“Can’t get these to adopt a sibling you know.” she said waving it at him “So be good to him ok?”   
The party was subdued but fun, SI relishing meeting Garus, Tali and Liara, enjoying the gifts they gave him. When he opened Chloe’s gift he got teary eyed and hugged her - the first actual contact he had made with any of them.  
“What is it?”  
“Adoption certificate.” Si said “Dated days ago - so I have family, I have a name and…”   
“And you can list a next of kin on the forms. You have people now Si, people who will miss you if something happens, so please dear god, don’t let something happen.” Chloe said as Si nodded.   
“Thank you.” he looked down at all the things they had given him - pretty much everything a new recruit into the Alliance might need, including credits. “You didn’t even have to rescue me…. But you have no idea how much I appreciate it all.”  
“I told you - I was you once.” Chloe replied “There is hope for most of us Si, all it takes is someone giving us a chance.”  
He nodded, understanding.  
They sat around talking until morning, which signaled the time to take Si to the recruiting office.  
“Write, call.. That kind of thing!” Chloe demanded as the lieutenant on the desk went pale and saluted them

“You know,” Garrus said as he escorted them back to the docking bay“You people really should get some sleep.”  
“Yeah we will, “Chloe yawned. “Will take a day or so to get back out near the terminus where the geth are.”  
“Be careful.” Garrus glanced round at Shepard and Kaidan “All of you, this doesn’t sit well with me.”  
“What chasing geth?” Shepard leaned over the railing near them “I know Garrus but it gives us time to consider what else to do.”  
“Well, don’t piss off anyone out there.” Garrus replied “There are a lot of pirates and slavers.”  
“We can handle it, Garrus.” Kaidan said bumping into the Turian affectionately.  
“I know, I just wish I was heading out there with you.” He glanced around “But someone has to stay here and be a bee in the hood.”  
“Bee in a bonnet” Chloe replied “Human saying, it helps when it’s right.”  
“Sure.” Garrus nodded “Good luck.”  
“Catch bad guys and be noisy, that is the plan isn’t it Garrus?”  
“Yeah for now, this place is not doing well after the attack.” he revealed “but you showed me that patience goes a long way, Shepard, so I will do my best to stick it out.”  
“Bye Garrus!” Chloe gave him an affectionate hug, kissing his armour as she left.  
“That girl.. You are lucky Kaidan.” Garrus muttered as he walked away.  
“Time to go.” Shepard stared out at the citadel “This feels off, Garrus is right, something isn’t.. right.”  
“At least we still have the Normandy.” Kaidan replied “Not like the council can stop us doing things.”  
“Very true, let's get after the geth and make our next plans.”


	18. Alchera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alchera is a turning point.

The edges of the terminus were some of the toughest colonies were located, they had very little love for the Alliance, except when they needed help. Sightings of geth in the area had certainly opened new doors for the crew of the Normandy.  
Chloe was filling in reports on how they were going, seated at the table; Kaidan was doing similar work seated across from her.  
“Nice and cosy?” Shepard sat down with them, looking exhausted.  
“Ugh reports. “ Chloe replied bitterly.  
“Who are you writing reports for?” Shepard leaned over towards her but Chloe sighed and scooted her papers into a neater pile.  
“Hackett asked me to report on what happened through the last little while up to the Citadel. He wants to see it from another perspective.”  
“Why are you so close to Hackett?” Sheapard asked curiously.  
“Well, when you get your medals and such, who gives them to you?”  
“Admiral Hack.. oh… but…”  
“My medals and honors are in my file, but because some of it was black ops, it wasn’t a fancy deal it was just a rock up and have them handed to me.”Chloe shrugged typing on a datapad “We got to know each other that way. He’s a good guy - makes tough decisions all the time, is a hard ass when it comes to marines but as a person, one of the best.”  
“Makes sense.” Kaidan replied as he too tapped on a datapad.  
“And Kaidan, who are you writing reports for?”Shepard asked.  
“Well, Shepard, it would be you. I am writing reports for you.”  
“Ah crud.” Shepard playfully swatted at Kaidan “That means I have to read them too.”  
“The Normandy is your command.”  
“Very true… I suppose I have to act like it.” Shepard grinned “Now and then anyhow.”  
“Is Joker running scans up on the bridge?” Chloe asked as she hit the send button on her datapad.  
“No, we will start again tomorrow. Told him to get some sleep.” Shepard replied “He’s been working too hard since we got back.”  
“Well, then I am going to go sit up on the flight deck and watch some stars.” Chloe glanced at Kaidan meaningfully, “Company is welcome.”  
They had done their best but things had fallen into a familiar routine on board, where no-one talked relationships in front of the crew but when they were not watching, Chloe and Kaidan were together, Shepard spent his free time with Liara. It had been a quiet run so far, a few planets with geth that they had to deal with but not many.

“It’s pretty out there.” Chloe muttered as she sat in the co-pilot seat staring at the view outside.  
“Got room for me?” Kaidan slipped into the area closing the joining door between the flight deck and the navigation. He grinned as Chloe stood up and let him sit before she sat on him.  
“That’s better. I knew there was something wrong with the seat.” she murmured leaning into Kaidan “God’s I know we serve on the same ship but I feel like I haven't had any time with you.”  
“Except for writing reports?” Kaidan replied. Their eyes no longer on the outside but rather on each other.  
“Yeah.” Chloe was content to just relax against him, feeling Kaidan there with her, his breath in her hair and hands around her hips.  
“This is good.” Kaidan replied, kissing her gently on the forehead “Let’s do some star gazing.”  
They sat like that until Chloe started to fall asleep. Kaidan watched her head settle on his chest with a sigh and smiled. It would be nice if they could get away with it, but they had agreed before this not to push things too far.  
“Chloe?” he murmured in her ear “wake up, time for bed I think.”  
“Yeah.” she yawned and then got up, “Damn I miss you already.”  
“I know, at the end of the geth hunt… you know the drill.”  
“Yeah ok. Let's get to the pods.”  
Sleep pods were the Alliance’s way of saving room on bunks. Technically one of them could survive a crash but no-one ever wanted to test that. However they were not completely uncomfortable and provided a good 8hrs sleep when needed.  
“Night.” Chloe waved as she slid into one of the pods.

Kaidan woke with a start five hours later, and made his way to the mess with an annoyed expression. Joker was trying to serve himself coffee - never a good ending but the man tried to be self sufficient.  
“Sit down Joker.” Kaidan said scaring Joker who immediately dropped his coffee.  
“Damn it Kaidan, how do you walk so quietly.”  
“When I can’t sleep apparently.” Kaidan replied “want a coffee?”  
“Yeah, get one for Shepard too.” Joker nodded at the door of the Commander’s room which opened as if on command.  
“Morning Shepard.”  
“Joker, Kaidan…” Shepard yawned, his face looking like he had not slept at all.  
“How much sleep did you get Shep?” Kaidan asked.  
“About an hour before those.. Dreams.. Came back.”  
“Wasn’t just Saren then.” Joker replied frowning “damn it.”  
“Here drink your coffee.” Kaidan placed a cup in front of both of them, and cleaned up the coffee Joker had split before pouring one of his own and joining them.  
“I got five… i woke up with the worst feeling in the world.”  
“Great.” Shepard replied morosely.  
They all stared into their coffee until a noise drew their eyes to the sleep pods. Kaidan moved faster than the other two could react at all.  
“Chloe.”  
He punched open the sleeping pod where he knew she had been sleeping, and ran to wake her up.  
“Chloe wake up…”  
“Let me go! I am not anyone important, just let me go..”  
“Chloe!” Shepard was with him and he shook his sister awake. She woke up in shock.  
“Gods. “ she said, falling into her brother's arms as he half carried her to the seats around the table.  
“Get a coffee Kaidan.”  
“Make some space on the bench Joker.” Shepard was almost shaking; he was so worried about Chloe.  
“Now tell us what happened.. And are you ok.” she had been hitting the inside of the pod, which was mostly lined and soft but had a few uncomfortable edges.  
“I … it’s a nightmare i have.. On repeat.” she said the last two words bitterly as Kaidan put a coffee in front of her.  
“Chloe you are bleeding.” he noted, grabbing the kitchen’s first aid kid.  
“Ah shit.”she replied turning her arm so she could see, a small gash along her forearm had torn her shirt as well. “Well, that’s no fun.”  
Kaidan cleaned and dressed the wound. Using medi-gel the wound would heal fairly quickly.  
“Is the nightmare to do with me?” Shepard asked, guilt lining his face.  
“No… I… may as well tell you.” she looked down “Kaidan knows already.”  
“Oh.. “ Joker replied glancing at Kaidan who sat down, looking even more worn than he had before.  
“I was caught by cerberus, well my unit was lured into a trap and we were caught by cerberus.”  
“Shit.” Joker shook his head, they had seen what cerberus had done to people.  
“They were testing.. Something… I still don’t know much.”she shook her head “Only a small group of us made it out.”  
“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell us everything.” Shepard said soothingly, his arm still looped around Chloe’s shoulder.  
“I… it’s very complicated and enough to say I still feel guilt over the whole thing.” she shook her head “Good men died. I survived.”  
“We are glad you did Chloe.” Kaidan replied, glancing at her, he knew the whole story, but she didn't have to tell everyone.  
“Let’s uh… change the topic.” Shepard said not releasing his sister, which amused Kaidan “Alright.”  
They spoke about the geth and what they had learned so far, how Tali had returned to the flotilla now and that things were moving forward but not in the direction they needed.  
“I just have a feeling the Alliance is looking at ways to split us up.” Kaidan murmured  
“They might be.” Joker replied, “as long as they don’t ground me.”  
“You’re the best bloody pilot out there!” Chloe exclaimed, causing Joker to blush. “If they sideline you, they might as well side-line the whole damn fleet.”  
“I think you have a fan, Joker.” Kaidan teased winking at Chloe.  
“Well if that is what it takes, then yes, I am a fan.” Chloe smiled a little, the first since she woke up screaming. “Just let me get my copy of the Normandy guidelines and you can sign it for me.”  
“Funny.” Joker replied “I might just drop you all off on Alchera today.”  
“Alchera?” Chloe frowned “Why there?”  
“Three Alliance ships have gone missing in the area in the past week.” Joker replied “Has to be geth, or slavers or something we have yet to see.”  
“But Alchera is a dump of an ice-planet?”  
“Oh you know it?” Joker replied  
“I did train to be a co-pilot once, it hit the fan because I couldn’t do the calculations.”  
“Been meaning to ask you about that?” Shepard frowned “What is it with you and numbers?”  
“Um. You are familiar with dyslexia?”  
“A learning disability involving words, and the ability to see them or read them properly? Hmm, often referred to as an issue with decoding language?” Kaidan filled in for Shepard.  
“Yeah. That.” Shepard smiled at his sister “what has that to do with numbers though?”  
“Well.” Chloe frowned, trying to find a way to say it without sounding crazy.  
“She has dyscalculia”Joker replied.  
“What is that?”  
“Loosely speaking, dyslexia with numbers. Practically speaking I can do numbers just not very fast and not always accurately.” Chloe paused “I find 24hr time frustrating, can’t read an analogue clock, and there are a bunch more things.”  
“Joker knew about it?”  
“Eh… yes?” Joker replied “Because I asked her to help me and she refused to co-pilot for a jump.”  
“It isn’t really a problem in the field, my gun is calibrated via software, or I get help with it, my clock on my omnitool is digital and I have a calculator built in.”  
“Well I wasn’t going to suggest you couldn’t do your job…” Shepard frowned “You can’t read analogue clocks?”  
“Yeah.” Chloe had a feeling she knew where this would go and wanted to stop it before it headed that way “You don’t need to test me, I promise you. It isn’t as simple as black and white I can’t read them. “  
“I wasn’t going to…” Shepard started to say as he quickly hid his omnitool.  
“Shepard, you are a terrible liar.” Kaidan laughed.  
“You mean you can do math but just not at lightning speed like Jeff can?”  
“Not even at normal speed. It takes me longer to read a damn analogue clock than it is worth doing it for.” Chloe shook her head.  
“No treatment?”  
“They tried a few different things, not really anything that helped in the long run.” she paused “I mean, I didn’t try these treatments, I just assumed it was how the brain always worked, and that anyone who did math was a genius?”  
“Yeah sounds about right.”  
“But… “ Joker stared at Chloe for a minute “Don’t you have a degree in Psychology? How did you do that when you can’t count…”  
“I can count.” Chloe sighed “And I can get help to do things I need to do, like parsing research and that kind of thing.”  
“High functioning.” Kaidan responded.

“Morning.” Pressly popped into the kitchen “Just about time to get started on our scans Commander.”  
“Excellent.” Shepard raised an eyebrow over the group at the table “I guess that was a subtle way to say get to work.”

They were scanning the region around Alchera, for any sign of what had happened to the ships. Chloe, Kaidan and Shepard were below running maintenance checks on things when the ship rocked.  
“What was that?”Chloe asked, she was with Dr Chakwas at the time.  
“Have a bad feeling.” the doctor replied as Joker yelled over the speaker.  
“Brace for impact!”  
“Shit” Chloe had no time to brace and landed hard on her shoulder. “You ok Doc?”  
“Yes, but…there is fire in the sleeping bays.”  
“Grab a kit and get to the escape pods.”Chloe said biting her lip from the pain in her shoulder “I will meet you there, I’m going to clear this deck.”

“Shepard!” Chloe screamed as her brother ran past, he stopped and spun to her.  
“Get the others to the escape pods, you need to go to engineering.”  
“On it.” Chloe ran past, Shepard grabbed her again.  
“Get your helmet on, and Chloe…” he looked scared she realised “don’t take any risks.”  
“Aye-aye.” she ran, grabbed her helmet and headed below.  
The engineering deck had fared pretty badly, debri and dead littered the ground. Thank God Wrex, Garrus and Tali were off the ship now.  
“Engineer Adams!”Chloe called out “we need to evacuate the ship.”  
He nodded and threw a fire suppressant to her.  
“Let’s go, people, move.”  
“Don’t take the lift…” she screamed as the first two people went to step into the lift as it exploded around them, throwing them back to her feet. Adams glanced at her as she checked them, they were dead.  
“Emergency access shoot, move.” She didn't wait for them to answer, climbing back to the deck above helping them as they came up.  
“Get to the escape pod, hurry.”

“Shepard!” Chloe could hear Kaidan yell, “Will the Alliance get here in time?”  
“Yes we just need to hold on.” Pat replied.  
“Joker won’t leave.” Kaidan said something Chloe couldn’t hear.  
“Get everyone into escape pods, go now!”  
Chloe kept helping the engineering crew up and directing them towards the pods.  
“Hurry, I don’t think there is much time.”  
Adams was the last one through and he pushed forward just as a beam fell towards them and hit Chloe over the head, knocking her helmet off and her to the ground.  
“Chloe!” Adams doubled back and grabbed the helmet and the girl, diving into the nearest escape pod. “Let's go.”

As the pods ejected and the unknown ship kept firing, Adams attempted to help Chloe.

“Get Chakwas on the line, quickly. Dammit, Chloe… wake up.”  
Chloe did not wake up but she wasn’t dead either. Adams managed to get first aid to her but the attempt to contact Chakwas was a failure.   
“Did we all even make it off?” He murmured as he watched the Normandy burn.

  
In another escape pod, Kaidan was checking over the people with him, Dr Chakwas had a small cut on her face, and Kaidan had a burn on his leg he could feel through his armor.  
“Can we contact the other pods?” He asked the tech who was with them. The tech tried several things to open a coms to the pods but failed, and Kaidan could only hope everyone made it.  
“Where did Shepard go?” Dr Chakwas said after a while, as the initial adrenalin edged off and they sat shocked.  
“To get Joker, he wasn’t going to leave the ship.” Kaidan was tired and his exasperation showed. Dr Chakwas shook her head at him.  
“If Joker had abandoned the ship the moment Shepard had called it, half of us would be dead.” she patted Kaidan on his arm “Chloe is bound to be ok, she went to engineering to get Adams and his crew.”  
“Just hope Shepard is,” Kaidan replied, staring out across space. “I have a bad feeling doc, I can’t shake it.”

It took two days for the rescue of the crew. When they were finally all on ship, Joker was white as a sheet, and Kaidan had found out Chloe was unconscious.   
“She’s in a coma.” the medical team on the ship who had answered their beacon told him “I’m sorry there is nothing we can do. If she makes it to the hospital..”

Shepard was gone.

Kaidan couldn’t process it now, he could barely handle his girlfriend being unconscious, and all he could do was keep doing his job. Check over the crew list, see who was dead, who had made it, check for the injured he could help.   
He made sure Joker was okay, checking that the pilot realized he was a hero, and that it was not his fault that they had lost Shepard.   
“But Kaidan?” Joker had asked his voice morose “What the hell do we do without Shepard?”  
It wasn’t a question Kaidan could handle answering. Nor did he want to talk to Liara as she sat with Joker in the corner attempting to come to grips with losing Patrick Shepard.


	19. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Galaxy has changed, Shepard is gone. The Normandy is gone. What can they do when there is nothing left?

Kaidan only had time to shower, and sleep for one night after they got back before Hackett and Anderson called wanting to know what happened.  
The enemy was still unknown, Joker’s description of the ship he saw, and the scans they picked up from the debris on Alchera were inconclusive. Except that it was big and had destroyed the Normandy easily.

Chloe was still in a coma in hospital, she was struggling to breath, and it confused the medical staff, there were some injuries to her head and neck, which were healing just fine. Her shoulder had cracked across the joint in the first toss across the room. She was fighting whatever it was that was keeping her from him. Kaidan sat as much as he could with her in the hospital on the Citadel.   
“Chloe, I really need you back.” He murmured holding her hand “I don’t know how we are going to deal with what is coming.”  
The silence was not an answer, but he kept returning to her bedside at the end of a day dealing with paperwork and inquiry into the attack. As the remaining ranking officer he had taken on a lot more responsibility.   
“Chloe if you could just…” three months in now, and he was fighting his own reassignment, so that he could stay with her. She squeezed his hand.  
“Doctor!” Kaidan called  
The doctor came and checked her and nodded with a smile.  
“I do believe she is coming back to us. If you don’t mind, there is a young man outside who says he is her brother.”  
“Si… “ Kaidan said, recalling the kid they had adopted, and that Chloe ahd legally adopted so he had family. “Please, let him in?”  
Si strode in, he had filled out in the months he had been in boot camp, and was now a confident soldier.  
“Chloe..” he said pained “I just heard Kaidan, we were on radio silence for a while.”  
“Shepard…” Kaidan started to say as Si placed a hadn on his shoulder  
“I heard.” Si closed his eyes as he stood there “Is it really as bad as they said?”  
“The entire ship is gone.” Kaidan said looking up at the man, “It was bad.:   
“Si?” Chloe’s voice was a whisper as breathing tubes and oxygen blocked her from speaking.   
“Chloe.” Si took her hand as Kaidan lept to get the doctor again.  
“Kai..”   
“He will be back in a moment, he went to get the doctor.”  
“Pat?” Chloe’s eyes asked the question that no-one wanted to answer.  
“Just wait til you are off these tubes.” Si replied glancing down “It will be easier to talk. Rest now.”  
“Gone.” tears sprang in Chloe’s eyes and she relaxed back on the pillow behind her head.

“Hello Chloe, let’s get the tubes out of your mouth so you can talk to your friends.” the nurse said, brightly before glaring at the two men “Out you two.”  
“Yes ma’am,” they said in unison.  
Kaidan and Si went to the cafeteria that served the staff and patients at the hospital.  
“Have you been reassigned, Kaidan?”  
“Not yet. I was offered a position but… “ he waved towards the room where they had left Chloe. “Hackett and Anderson keep pushing me to teach but I don’t know..”  
“I think you would be good at it,” Si commented.  
“You changed.”   
“Yeah, mostly thanks to you, Chloe, and Shepard.” Si was quiet a moment “Mostly thanks to Chloe.”  
“Did they fix your amp?”  
“Yep. taught me how to control my biotics, should be useful in a fight now.”Si laughed “Seriously though, where do we go from here? I heard rumors Shepard was out chasing geth… were they that important?”  
“No.” Kaidan sighed “but the council wanted us out of the way so we didn’t tell people Sovereign was a Reaper.”  
“I will give you my extranet contact, that way you can fill me in.” Si said, “Without people overhearing us, I don’t want to get you into trouble.”  
“Yeah, plus it’s a long-ass story,” Kaidan replied.  
“Do you think Chloe will be okay?”Si asked “I… owe her a lot.”   
“And she won’t collect on that you know.” Kaidan told the man “She sincerely just wanted you to have a better shot at life than she had to begin with.”  
“It’s a privilege I won’t waste. You tell me what they are stopping you from telling the world, and I will make it known as loud as I can.” Si was serious “Maybe not by yelling but you get what I mean.”  
“I do, but you would be better figuring out how we get ready to defeat a big ass invasion.”   
“If you mean what I think: shit.” Si turned his cup around in his hands. “I am not sure we know how to get ready for a small invasion - say someone like Cerberus? Let alone … those.”  
“Here is hoping Cerberus stays just a blip on the radar, and we can figure out the rest.” Kaidan said massaging the back of his neck “Let's check on Chloe now.”


	20. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe is finally awake, 3 months after the Normandy was lost, and she is still coming to terms with her brother's death. Shepard is always on her mind, except when distracted by Kaidan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another 'R' rated chapter. skip if you don't want sex content.

Chloe was glad she had woken up three months had been a nightmare. Dreaming that instead of making the escape pod, she was tossed into space, her suit damaged, her air failing, lungs on fire and then silence. Not a blissful nothing but a nothing filled with failure, unfulfilled promises, and worse the arrival of the Reapers.  
She kept this nightmare, so real and so terrifying to herself. She really felt like she was missing a part of herself she had only just found. Patrick was dead. No amount of bad dreams would bring him back.

It took a month before Kaidan couldn't put off his new assignment longer.  
"It kills me, you just get home and then i have to go." Kaidan sighed. They were sitting in the lounge of Chloe's apartment. Chloe wads curled up tight to Kaidan’s side, their hands entwined.  
"Its ok." Chloe replied, staring at their joined hands. "I have rehab for a few more months; Then extra tests and the like to see if i'm still fit. Honestly with the work i need to put in ,,,"   
"You want to go back to active duty?"  
"Yeah i…" she paused looking up at him.  
"What is it?"  
" i miss him, Kaidan, and i don't really understand why.. I only barely found him."  
"I get it, he was my best friend..and yeah,,,," Kaidan pulled her tighter.  
"I want to be fighting when the Reapers come.”  
"Me too….but.."  
"But?"  
"If anything happens to you Chloe, i swear.."  
"Not going to promise.."   
"Urgh" Kaidan pretending to be upset.  
Chloe sighed and then laughed at him.   
“What is it Pat said before? Fight or die trying.”  
“That does sound like him.” Kaidan replied, bending to nuzzle Chloe’s neck. “Let’s just take the here and now though, I would rather enjoy our last night together.”  
“Not last, Kaidan!” Chloe said giggling as his breath teased her ear “But it should be a good night… we should move off the sofa.”  
“What if I don’t want to?” he whispered in her ear.  
“Hmm” Chloe went to move but instead of getting up she swung herself on to Kaidan’s lap, grimacing when pain went through her shoulder “I forgot.”  
“So did I… careful.” Kaidan winked “Let me do all the work.”  
“That wink is dangerous Kaidan Alenko!” Chloe laughed as he lifted her entirely and sat her on his knee so her legs were around him.  
“Yes it is… and I know it.” his smile broadened, and he took a deep breath “before we get too distracted…”  
“Says the guy who is already turned on.” Chloe responded shifting in his lap so he groaned a little.  
“I wanted to ask you something important when this is over, when the reapers are gone,” Kaidan swallowed, and Chloe realised he was nervous “will you marry me?”  
“Marry you?” Chloe was stunned, then she added “Why are we waiting that long again?”  
“Was that yes?”  
“Yes.” Chloe blinked “you really know how to catch me off guard don’t you?”  
“Want me to confess I had been thinking about this while I was waiting for you to wake up?” Kaidan pulled her closer “I really don’t want to go away from you, so i am going to promise to return as soon as possible.”  
“Then marry me when you come back.” Chloe said quietly “We can do the big party when everything is done, but I want that promise, and I want to give that promise - that I will come back to you always.”  
“If we aren’t stationed together, do we have to ask permission?”  
“Most likely, Hackett or Anderson might offer to do the ceremony for us…” Chloe replied “That would be nice though, I owe a lot to the Admiral.”  
“Alright, details will be worked. So, my fiance.. Will you mind if I carry you away to the bed? I don’t want you hurting again.”  
“Mmh… you will do all the work huh?”  
“Yes ma’am.” Kaidan licked his lips as he smiled at her. “I am looking forward to this.”  
“Strangely… “ Chloe said as she wiggled a bit more in the still seated position “so am i.”  
Kaidan laughed, but gathered her into his arms carefully, lifting her off his lap and around his waist instead.He kissed her hungrily, before walking the few steps to the bedroom.   
“Clothes off please?” she asked picking at the shirt she was wearing because with her shoulder injured she couldn’t entirely lift it off herself.   
“With great pleasure.” Kaidan grinned as he slowly helped her remove her top, admiring with his hands how her muscles were shaped.  
“You are definitely softer,” he murmured, kissing her stomach.  
“You should try being in a coma for a few months, very hard to find a decent gym.” she quipped back at him before inhaling sharply as his attention and the familiar blue spark if his biotics arrived at her breasts. “Gods Kaidan.”  
“Mm?”  
“If it’s possible to miss something when you are asleep… “ she inhaled sharply as he nipped at her.  
“Want help with your pants?” He asked again winking suggestively.  
“Ok..but then I want a show…” she grinned “ you are wearing too much.”  
“Oh I guess that I am…” Kaidan helped her with her pants and underwear as he teased her legs a bit more, causing the excitable flame of their biotics to spark and dance together around both of them.  
“My turn for a show please.” Chloe requested again.  
“Aw, but I’m having fun” Kaidan kissed her knees almost sadly and stood up as requested.  
“ Fine.” He said in mock objection as he removed his shirt.   
“Come here for a minute.” Chloe smiled delightedly “I just need to check that you are real.”  
Kaidan obliged, and guessed from how Chloe closed her eyes and ran her hand over his chest that she wasn’t just flirting in the moment, and he stored the thought away in his mind, determined not to bring anything more up about their losses.   
“Real enough?”  
“Oh very…” she licked her finger and ran it over his nipple.  
“Hey!” As the cold air teased him as she lay back with a giggle to watch him undress further. As he did so her biotics sparked, like a small electrical charge along her arms.  
"Exciting?"  
"Mmhm" she replied as he returned to where she was waiting on the bed.   
Each time they were together was always different. The two biotics enjoyed exploring each other. True to his word, Kaidan allowed Chloe to be relaxed on the bed, while he knelt between her legs returning to caressing her, teasingly along her thigh.  
"Kaidan" she murmured his name as he drew closer to her centre.   
He leaned up looking at her face as his biotic field enveloped her. The loss of control making her grin up at him.  
"Mmph what are you doing?"  
"This" he allowed his finger to run teasingly. "You are already wanting more?"  
"Yes. Hell yes!" Her reply was rewarded with a kiss which Kaidan managed to deepen as he stood up and retrieved a condom, keeping his focus and biotics on Chloe.  
After, they lay together, not exhausted but content in each other.  
"Did we ever figure out the reason our biotics merge like that?" Chloe asked, resting with her head on Kaidan's chest.  
"Not exactly, it isn't something I've even heard of, and they certainly didn't teach us that at BAaT."  
"Well, I guess they missed out." Chloe laughed “No I am sure they wouldn’t tell any teens about such things.”  
“What about in your travels?”  
“Nope. Maybe we should awkwardly ask Liara about this…” Chloe started to say then stopped and sighed “Or not.”  
“When you were asleep, or in the coma, did you dream..?”  
“I.. if you call it that.” she looked down at her hands, Kaidan wrapped his arm around her in reply. “I think it had to do with Pat… and gods Kaidan if that’s what he saw.”  
“Saw?”  
“Failure, destruction… reapers.” she closed her eyes “He lost his oxygen hose, it clipped the ship.”  
“Ah.” Kaidan looked down at his fiance “You know they never found him?”  
“I know.”   
“Anderson says they looked, but…”  
“But the Alliance, and the Council were far too willing to write him off.” she paused “I got a weird message from Liara.”  
“Weird how?” Kaidan frowned  
“Something about not giving up and looking for him. I don’t think she is coping well.”  
“No, you might be right.”  
“We better get some rest if you are leaving in the morning.” she sighed “I will miss you more than words.”   
“I have an idea.” Kaidan said as Chloe sat up to let him move.  
“Oh?”  
“How about our own private chat channel?”  
“You can do that?”  
“Yeah, show me your omni tool.” Kaidan replied pulling up his own “I did something like this for on the ship, Shepard wanted to be able to talk to Joker, Pressly and myself without having to yell over the crew.”  
“Ah, good plan. I can see how that would work.”   
“Here it is.” Kaidan pulled up some code on his omnitool, “never got rid of the code because I figured I might need it.”   
Chloe just smiled and shook her head.  
“Let me see your omni tool.” Kaidan had adjusted the code for them, and added a few layers of security. “We can have live vid chats, or just text chat here.”   
“Excellent. Well, it isn’t the same as having you here but…”  
“Will it help?”  
“Yeah.”


	21. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe hits rehab and goes back to work. A wedding is being planned on the side and life is continuing without Shepard.

Chloe worked as hard as she could at her rehab, pushing her limit and making sure she could do everything she used to.  
“I really hate working with N7’s” the rehab doctor stated “They push themselves way too hard. Slow down, Chloe, you will just reinjure your shoulder.”  
“Has the break healed?”  
“Yes.” The doctor frowned “It healed quite well, but…”  
“But?”  
“There are muscles and ligaments around the shoulder which require extra care, if you rush your recovery it will..”  
“I need to get back to work.” Chloe said, “I am going stir crazy.”  
“Well,” the doctor pulled up her scans again “I suppose I could sign off on you going back to work if you promise to continue the exercise routine?”  
“I promise.” Chloe nodded.   
“Ok. Here.” The doctor put the required info into the system.

The appointment she made with Admiral Hackett about getting married went well, Kaidan had given in his paperwork before he left apparently, Chloe was amused by that since he had literally just the morning to do something. The station was mostly quiet, and the rebuilding after Saren’s attack seemed to take forever.  
Admiral Hackett had an office in one of the Alliance towers, a base of operations as it were for the Alliance forces stationed in and around the citadel.  
Chloe leaned against the wall in the lift as she went up to the right floor. Her sense of success at her rehab being signed off was being fast eroded by the fact that her shoulder was aching because of the shift in gravity from the lift.  
“Major Halon, please take a seat Admiral Hackett will be with you shortly.” A lovely marine told her as she entered the office.   
“Thanks.” Chloe sat gratefully on the very comfortable chairs in the waiting area.   
“Admiral Hackett will see you now, Major.” Chloe nodded and went towards a familiar office.

“Chloe!” Admiral Steven Hackett had been a major part of Chloe’s career since after the Cerberus debacle. “I wanted to come down to visit you but the hospital told me you had a man who wouldn’t leave.”   
“Lieutenant Alenko.” Chloe confirmed   
“From on the Normandy? I see it was a good fit for you.” Hackett chuckled “And I have a request here.”   
“Yes Sir, we are hoping to get married,” Chloe smiled at the idea of having Kaidan come back to the citadel “When he gets back.”  
"Ah we have him training spec ops on earth." Hackett checked over the information carefully "You both skirted being written up you know."  
"Well, i can promise it won't happen again?" Chloe grinned  
"Yes marriage is a pretty solid way to solve that." Hackett replied "Lieutenant Alenko is due to return in a month."  
"Oh that's good!"  
"Do you have a dress?  
"No Sir, hoping a dress uniform would do. Going to wait until we finish the Reapers for any large parties."   
Hackett frowned as she said Reapers.   
"Be careful who you speak to about reapers chloe." He paused " I could perform the ceremony for you.."  
"I was about to ask, sir"  
"Good, good." He glanced at her "let me organise the marriage license and details, but on one condition?"  
"Sir?"  
"You get a dress."  
“Ok” Chloe laughed “I can be convinced.”  
“Excellent, make sure you tell your young man that I agreed. Moving on - you have been cleared for limited active duty, which is fine, most of what I will need is for you to look around on the citadel.”  
“Yes Sir!”  
“You seem happy to be back?”  
“I am really happy to be back, it has been a very boring break Sir.’ Chloe replied, making Hackett laugh again before handing over an envelope.  
“As per usual these are top secret missions, you report only to me. This is a contact in Zakera, I want you to explore the wards, look around like you are a tourist, report to me the conditions you find - the council is not exactly telling us what is going on.”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“And Chloe?”  
“Sir?”  
“I did listen to Shepard, I am doing what I can to prepare us for the inevitable, however, not everyone agrees, and there is a strong dissent in the leadership of the Alliance; so be careful.”  
“I understand “ She nodded. “Shepard died because of the lack of faith in him, and in what he saw. I lost my chance to honor that - so I will try and help do anything to be ready, to fight.”  
“Good.” Admiral Hackett stood and paced to the window “I want you to find out what happened to Sovereign, we both know there is indoctrination, and the last thing we need is that to be the door open on the citadel.”  
“Yes Sir.” Chloe nodded “I take it, that is what you want me seeing where the damage is for?”  
“Yes.” he paused “You might need to use your contacts among different species to investigate, there is a lot of distrust now Udina is on the council.”  
“Understood.”  
“We aren’t a two person army, but it is fairly accurate to say you cannot trust anyone.”  
“Alenko is trustworthy Sir.” Chloe replied “He knew Shepard more than I did.”  
“I know. I intend to move him back to the citadel - there is a position here for him that Anderson has had in as a request for months.” Hackett nodded to himself suddenly with a smile “Did you want a name change put through Chloe? I know Halon was never your real name.”  
“Yes, I mean, I didn’t want to use ‘Shepard’ even when I found out I was… “ she sighed “I still don’t want that, but marrying Alenko? Yes changing my name is a good idea.”  
“Then I can order new tags.” Hackett smirked as he sat back down “There is a new design, you will be impressed.”   
“Thank you.”  
“Chloe?” the Admiral added with a more casual tone “It’s damn good to have you back.” he smiled “I’ve always felt protective of you and your career. I am starting to think I should just have adopted you when I saw you in that hospital.”  
“You know, “ Chloe said suddenly “I did officially adopt a kid named Si, I think he is now listed as Simon Halon.”   
“I know of him, he is promising.” Hackett touched his beard in thought “I had him tagged already Chloe, but now I know he is part of your … collection of people; I will keep a better eye on him.”  
“He has been assigned to the Perugia detail, I think that is a good ship for him Sir, but I would feel better if you had your eye on him too.” She grinned “Your grandson if you like.”  
“Chloe I am pretty sure you will be the death of me.” Hackett laughed “I suppose I should get back to more pressing work, do take care of yourself.”  
“Reporting on the usual channels then?”  
“Yes. Though this time if you miss a connection, I will hunt you down.” Hackett said pointedly “It’s not good for my health when you go missing. “  
“Yes Sir.” Chloe saluted, and swept the envelope into her backpack as she left the room. Admiral Hackett had already turned to his computer.

The envelope contained a name that Chloe already knew. The Captain of the c-sec for the ward of Zakera. She was surprised actually, last time she had seen Bailey he had been just a regular officer. Still, it was worth trying there first, and she had fired off a note to Liara, asking about wedding dresses.


	22. Into the Wards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe has a list of people, and a to-do list - including finding a dress.

There was a long term plan for Chloe to investigate the wards, and she knew it. Admiral Hackett had started to pull together the people who still believed Shepard was right. Even Kaidan had received an offer that would bring him almost permanently back to the citadel.

At the end of the week Chloe was down in Zakera ward in civilian clothes speaking to Bailey.  
“Chloe Halon!” Bailey greeted as she came in.  
“Congratulations on the promotion Bailey.” She grinned as he rolled his eyes, “ah come on can’t be that bad.”  
“I don’t know, I deal with a large range of criminals and idiots.” he replied taking in her appearance he gestured to a spare interrogation room “ah, let's talk in my other office shall we?”  
Chloe nodded and led the way, sitting comfortably on the end of the bench that was there for criminals.  
“You look way too comfortable there.” Bailey commented when he saw her.  
“Oh some old history, I am used to this stuff.” she waved around her.  
“So what does one of the Alliance finest have to do down here that she isn’t in uniform or armour?”  
“Well firstly I am meant to be looking around, just gauging how things are on the wards.”   
“Easier said than done, there is a lot of animosity towards humans in some parts.”  
“Yeah. I need to find some old contacts.”  
“That I might be able to help with.” Bailey nodded.  
“Garrus Vakarian.” she might as well start from there and move up.  
“Mmm bad news on that front.”  
“Oh?”  
“He up and quit about a week ago. Didn’t leave an address either.”  
“Damn it. I was only just cleared for duty.”  
“Then the rumour was true?” Bailey asked.  
“I was on the Normandy, if that is the rumour you are asking about.”  
“So Commander Shepard… is dead?”  
“That would be accurate.” Chloe looked down “Though they never found a body.”  
“Ah.” Bailey looked down. “I am sorry. If you were on the Normandy you knew him.”   
“Yeah… he was .. a good friend and a good CO.” Chloe sighed “I was out of commission for the four months since.”  
“Well, sorry I can’t help with Garrus.” Bailey gestured “I guess he didn’t feel like he was able to work here with all the political crap..”  
“Well I hope he is okay, he is also a friend..” Chloe sighed. “Let me ask about a few other people.”  
“You have a list?” Bailey asked as she handed it to him.  
“Figured it made it easier for research.” she smiled “the second thing..”  
“Hm It’s not like you to not bring everything out in the first place.” Bailey shrugged “Got to know your style while I ran the office side of investigations.”  
“Might need you again, or need you to assign me someone.” she shook her head “regardless I also need to know where I can get a wedding dress.”  
“For you? Or for someone you know…?”   
“For me.” she grinned “I know it is highly irregular that I would get married, but it’s going to be a very small affair; just want to get it done.”  
“No dress blues?”  
“I was told that I should have a dress.”   
“I see. I have a young turian officer, female, who might be able to help with.. Both issues.” he smiled “I agree that you should have an assigned officer. Hang on let me call her in.”  
“Silea Adacus, meet Chloe Halon.” The tall turian woman turned bright inquisitive green eyes on Chloe assessing her instantly.  
“Greetings.” She turned to Bailey “Sir I don’t understand why you brought me here?”  
“I am assigning you as a special liaison with Chloe. She needs our help to look into the situations here in the wards.”  
“Working with an N7 is highly irregular.” Silea shrugged “Alliance marines are not exactly the most welcome sight on some parts of the wards.”  
Chloe began to giggle.  
“Captain?”  
“I didn’t tell you she was a marine or an N7.” Bailey pointed out “She is laughing because I said you would be good for the job, and you just proved it.”  
“Oh.”  
“Silea, you were a Turian military before coming here?”  
“All of us are Ma’am.”  
“Right, drop the Ma’am please, call me Chloe.” Chloe nodded at Bailey who handed off the list of names “I need you to run these names and see if anyone is still on the citadel.”  
“We already did the first one Silea.” Bailey said helpfully.  
“So you told her what Garrus said when he left?”  
“You knew Garrus?” Chloe asked, waving Bailey out of the room.  
“Yes ma’.... Chloe.” Silea sighed relaxing “Look I don’t want Bailey knowing it, but I had a couple of drinks with Vakarian.”  
“Why is that taboo?”  
“It’s not, it’s just that Garus has a reputation. Honestly, we served on ships together.”Silea sat down on the other chair in the room. “How did you know Garrus?”  
“I was on the Normandy.” Chloe replied, the Turian nodded “I was only just cleared to active duty after the crash.”  
“I see. “ Silea nodded “And now we are hunting for bits of the Reaper…?”  
“God’s you are good.” Chloe replied “but I’d be careful who you say that to.”  
“Garrus told me everything,”Silea fiddled with the page in her hands.   
“Was he okay?”Chloe asked.  
“He was pissed off at the red tape” Silea replied “and he was mourning his friend.”  
“Yeah… Kaidan said he came by when I was in a coma.”  
“Ah he mentioned you, I think he thought you were not going to make it.”  
“I do miss Garrus… if you have any way to get in touch with him.”   
“No but I can look.” Silea promised “If you are sure.”  
“I need him to know Im ok, and that im getting married.”  
“Ah that was the other thing Bailey mentioned.” Silea nodded “you need a wedding dress?”  
“Yes, by the end of the month. I am getting married next month.”  
“Can I ask who?” Silea grinned for a moment.  
“Kaidan Alenko… oh.. “  
“You didn’t get written up for fraternization?”  
“ Well, I promised not to do it again?” Chloe laughed “No I didn't get written up. I mostly do solo ops so… there usually isn't as much protocol; so leniency is usually shown. Plus Pat… Shepard… was a council Spectre, could override any trouble we were in.”  
“I see he was a friend, I’m sorry for your loss.” Silea murmured “Back to the dress though, Bailey said I could help because my sister is a dressmaker.”  
“That… is an unusual profession for a Turian.” Chloe was surprised.  
“Tell me about it, I tried to get her to do something else, anything else.” Silea sighed “But she is good, let’s start by going to see her, I can use her computer to do the searches.”  
“Ok.” Chloe nodded “But I’m really bad at dresses and how things are meant to look.”  
“Don’t worry, my sister is insanely talented.” Silea replied “She was making clothes when she was a toddler, all through her military work and when we moved here there was not much I could do to stop her.”  
“Ok, let's go then.” Chloe agreed.

True to her word Silea’s sister had a shop front where she displayed a lot of beautiful creations. Chloe was stunned by them and when she was ushered into the house part of the shop - she was equally surprised by the homeliness of it.  
“I was never a good turian” Ruia explained as she showed Chloe through to her work room. “I was always making things, and driving my family crazy.”  
“Well, I can see you have talent!” Chloe replied admiring a half finished Krogan dress.  
“Thank you.” Ruia nodded at Chloe “What kind of dress do you want?”  
“To be honest, I don’t know, I had not thought of it.”  
“Never?”  
“I grew up on the streets of earth, so yeah never.. Dress blues was my go-to for formal events and honestly if I had been able to it would have been the one for this too. “  
“Hmm… so someone suggested you get a wedding dress?”  
“A friend, father figure actually, he is going to perform the ceremony for us.”  
“Let me guess, he only said yes if you got a dress?”  
“You and your sister are definitely wired the same.” Chloe chuckled “yes that was the condition.”  
“Does your .. intended.. Know you will be wearing a dress?”  
“Nope. Thought I would surprise him.”  
“Excellent. That is the way to go. Can I ask a bit more about you? Silea just kind of threw you into my care.”  
“She is in investigation mode.”  
“Ah that explains it, she gets all hyper focused on cases.” Ruia shrugged “I would get a doc to see her about it but since it gets the results she wants I never bothered.”  
“Let’s see not much I can say really, I joined the marines when I was 18, and served all over. Last post was the Normandy.”  
“The Spectre’s ship?”  
“Yeah.”   
“So you knew Commander Shepard?” Ruia asked lowering her tape measure and scribbling something into a notebook.”  
“He was a friend, and a great CO.” Chloe sighed.  
“And your partner?”  
“Kaidan Alenko, one of the best men this galaxy has ever seen.”   
“Ah I can see how much losing Shepard has hurt, and how much you love your Kaidan.” Ruia smiled thoughtfully “My sister knew Garrus Vakarian.”  
“Yeah, Garrus is a good friend too, I wasn’t even awake yet when he left the citadel this time.” Chloe closed her eyes “I hope he is okay.”  
“My sister still nurses a crush on Garrus.” Ruia replied “I know she can find him- if its only to check he is okay where he is.”  
“There got the measurements. Let me do some quick sketches? Would you like some tea?”  
“Tea?”  
“Yep. I have a human assistant, she makes sure there is the relevant beverages here. Though I confess I only really know how to make tea.”  
“Tea would be lovely.”

Once the tea was made and Ruia was sitting once more at her work bench, Chloe glanced more around the room.  
“Your work is amazing, I would never have considered making something so beautiful for a Krogan.”  
“She deserves it. Putting up with those men is a full time business. She isn’t with her clan of course, and she is marrying an Asari so I wanted her to feel gorgeous.”  
“Well it should work.” Chloe nodded her eyes alighting on another dress “Wow.”  
“Oh the Silversun dress?” Ruia nodded “It was ordered by the owner of the Silversun Strip casino, for his current girlfriend. People like that pay a lot, and keep me in business because they order two or three dresses a month. Still, true love does more for my inspiration than the revolving door kind.”  
“I was never one for relationships. Never knew how to make it work.”  
“I gather Kaidan is different?”  
“Kaidan is… gentle, intelligent, … so many things.” Chloe blushed “it is almost tragic how much I like him.”  
“And he looks after you?”  
“Oh yes.” Chloe nodded “He does, I don’t require much but he has stepped up every time I have needed someone.  
“Here” Ruia showed her a sketch, a simple dress with figure-fitting lines and a straight collar.  
“Wow.”  
“Preliminary sketch. Will have the whole thing next time you are here, this is a simple design, so that we can make it in time for your wedding.:   
“Do you always work so fast?”  
“No. Usually, my sister isn't breathing down my neck to do a good job, “ Ruia laughed “She really wants to impress you.”  
“Oh, she already has.”  
“Don’t worry, my assistant will help me, it’s only today is her day off.”  
“Fair enough, we all need those.”  
“Not to intrude, but I have names for you Chloe,” Silea said from the doorway “We can get back to work.”

The work in question was about to get interesting as Silea ushered Chloe to the kitchen and sat at the table with a datapad in her hand.  
“You sure of these names?”  
“Old contacts, friends, people who might know something?”  
“Okay because this list read… like a list of those killed..”  
“What?”  
“Star Fortune, I gather that was a stage name…”  
“Yes, an elkor actor actually.”  
“You have had odd friends.” Silea shook her head “But he was murdered.”  
“Murdered, are you sure?”  
“Yup, performed after the attack so was well alive, but was murdered after that.”  
“Good gravy, Star was a literal sweet heart.” Chloe felt a pang, Star had helped her out when she was in trouble one time.”I think I still owed him credits.”  
“Steve White. Human?”  
“Yes…”  
“Missing since the attack.”  
“Ah.” Chloe frowned “He was cerberus.”  
“Oh? I didn’t think you would work for them.”  
“I didn’t but he gave up a lot of information, they might have been why he disappeared.”  
“I did find out Harken was still around , but.. Are you suer he was a contact?”  
“Not a good one.” Chloe admitted “but he was always drunk enough to spill whatever you were after.”  
“He was fired from C-sec, apparently now works with the blue suns; as the name of Fade. We should probably not tell Bailey if we are going to just talk to the guy.”  
“Because he’s wanted most likely?”  
“Yes.” Silea glanced at her datapad again.   
“You have another contact here. I can’t get my mouth around that name.  
“Shinklestein,” Chloe said without having to look at the list “Gary Shinklestein.”  
“Oh.” Silea frowned “Another petty criminal, but now he's running for council on the wards.”  
“Oh seriously.. Someone must be pulling the strings for that, he's not smart.”  
“Yeah my research says a human first organization, Terra Firma?”  
“Wow they are over-reaching.” Chloe raised her eyebrow “Still it means he’s walking all over so he is a good shot first up.”  
“You think he will talk to you with a turian in tow?”  
“Nope, but then I need you to cover me from a distance, I cant walk into his vicinity with a gun either.”  
“Won’t they find your amp?” Silea asked.  
“No.” Chloe replied “It’s a special configuration that doesn’t scan oin the weapons scanner, it was changed at great expense.”  
“Ah I see. What model?”  
“L3.”  
“Oh, that is super rare. Most people left that well alone.”  
“No side effects so far.” Chloe smiled “I'm familiar with the L2, my fiance is one.”  
“He’s not on the citadel?” Silea asked “I know you are working but..”  
“He’s on earth at the moment, we keep in touch.” Chloe smiled slightly.  
“Alright, lets decide who to visit today out of the ones we discussed, looks like its either the one I can’t pronounce or Harken.”  
“If terra-firma are sponsoring Sinklestein, I think we better talk to him.” Chloe decided, Harken was a last resort - he was a sleeze and a con artist and she didn’t really want the risks involved with visiting him.  
“Alright let me get my sniper rifle from the office, there are walkways I can use to keep tabs on you.” Silea seemed to relax.  
“Another sniper rifle loving turian” Chloe laughed, then sobered “I miss Garrus.”  
“Yeah, still can't find him.” Silea sounded concerned as she checked her gun over “His sister is a friend of mine, she was also worried when he took off on the Normandy. I don’t know if he even checked in when he got back to the citadel.  
“Ah. He is struggling in the light of parental expectation I think.”  
“Yeah. It’s a turian thing. Some ways my sister and I are lucky: my parents were killed by pirates ages ago, I raised my sister.”  
“And you let her dream and fly.” Chloe commented “you did good.”  
“I hope so.” Silea locked her gun and slung it on her back “shall we go?”

The wards looked like any street in the main cities on earth, some were full of aliens, this one was full of humans. For a new race they had taken over a district fairly quickly and Chloe could see how that might be considered an issue by some.  
“I can whisper in your ear from up here.” Silea noted, “We need a code word.”  
“Ice-cream.” Chloe replied with a smile.   
“As long as you tell me what that is afterwards no problem. Your guy is just there.”  
“Gary?” Chloe approached the man with whom she had dealt with before, though in his current role he would never admit to what she had from him.  
“Chloe?” Gary looked genuinely surprised “Thought they killed you with that geth ship.”  
“Nah, I made it out, how are you going?”  
“Running for councilor, I want to represent the humans here you know.”  
“Of course, Noble goal.” Chloe smiled at him, her head on an angle. “Have time for a quick coffee?”  
“With you, always.” he gestured to a coffee cart set far away from the crowd.  
“Usual?” he asked as she nodded and he ordered a skim milk latte with a smile.  
“Here. My treat.”   
“Thanks.”  
“What brings you here Chloe? I know it wasn’t to congratulate me?”  
“Just wondering how the wards are coping with damage, and you know better than I do if there is someone say salvaging the stuff.”  
“Yeah Cerberus is all over whatever they can get.” He took a sip of his drink “I have a contact, Elias Green, works janitor over at the casino, but hes really a cerberus op.”  
“Anyone else I should talk to?”  
“Your turian friend can go talk to Auso Fimrian. He has more info on what the other wards are doing with shit. You heard about Star?”  
“Yeah, any idea what happened?”  
“He was asking questions, too loudly, about the Normandy, about Commander Shepard, and about the “Reapers”.” Gary shook his head “Like giant ass machines like that exist.”  
“Yeah I know.. Why was he asking?”  
“Said he knew someone who worked with Shepard.”   
“I see. Any ideas on who that was?”  
“No sorry.” Gary gestured to the crowds in the street “This has really been my focus, I am serious about moving on from crime. Terra Firma might bankroll me and I will gladly make it look like I am dumb but… “   
“You really want the job huh?”  
“Yeah.” Gary stared at her a minute “Whatever is going on Chloe, be careful. Too many questions and you could end up like Star. I’d rather not lose contacts like that.”  
“I can handle myself.”  
“I know, you are a marine after all, and you were on the normandy” he said it quietly “I know my contacts are good. I’m sorry about Shepard, what a waste for humanity.”  
“Yeah.” Chloe nodded, it had surprised her only a fraction that he knew anything “you get any info you know where to drop it.”  
“Might have extra tomorrow. Let me ask, and I mean it Chloe, take care.” He drained his coffee and spoke loudly “Good catching up with an old friend, let's do this again sometime.”  
Chloe nodded and he moved away.  
“Well that was interesting.” Silea spoke finally in her ear piece “Will follow up the names”  
“He surprised me.” Chloe admitted “He might have been faking before or faking now and I can't tell. Would not surprise me then that he would be a spy.”  
“For who?”  
“Someone who knows who I am?” Chloe murmured confused by how much the guy knew “Still I can fill in some for my boss now, thanks to you.”  
“Leave the turian with me and I will figure that one out.”  
“Thanks Silea,” Chloe replied “Meet you back at base.”  
By the time they arrived back at the csec office, Silea was running the names over databases and Chloe was tired. She figured she would call it for the day.


	23. Normal and a Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Kaiden get married, and life is normal.

Chloe was not entirely content with shuffling around on the citadel but with the promise of Kaidan returning, and it being more permanent she was content to keep trying to find out what happened on the wards. What she found was not good, a lot of her leads took her to Cerberus. A few to a Batarian group who funded research on their home world, that also caused some concern because there was a rumour the Batarians had a derelict reaper.

Liara replied to Chloe with a shocked note on the wedding:  
“Would never have thought you two had decided on that. I was certain that you would wait.   
I can’t make it as I am on a project at the moment. When we see each other again, Chloe, I can give you a wedding gift.”  
Chloe forwarded the note to Kaidan with amusement, and spent the evening chatting with him over the vid they had set up. It was good to see him after spending the better part of three days in the wards chasing leads with Silea.

“There are a lot of Cerberus in the citadel Kaidan, I don’t like it.” Chloe told him “You know my issues with them, I don’t understand why they are here unless it's for the same reason I was sent.”  
“It’s possible.” Kaidan replied “I hate that you don’t have a guard dog or something.”  
“I could get one?”  
“What and have it eat me too?”  
“Ha ha, no but you will be here in a week. Time will fly.”  
“Did you ask Hackkett to give me this job by the way?”  
“Nope. From what I understood, Anderson is to blame for this one. You know how those two can get.” Chloe grinned “You can’t say no.”  
“I am to be a teacher Chloe.”  
“Oh. So many thoughts Kaidan.” she replied with a giggle.  
“I am looking forward to having our ability to serve together only be a small amount of paperwork.”  
“If we can. Hackett is insistent I keep doing my thing.”she paused " to be honest i am getting a bit bored with being stuck on the citadel."  
"Its still better than having you going all over." Kaidan admitted.   
"I guess." She yawned " just get back here safely so i can marry you."  
"Aye aye ma'am."   
"Oh gods what am i going to do with you."  
"Marry me." Kaidan laughed. "Seriously, I miss you and I can't wait to get home."  
"Home? Thats the first time anyone has suggested this place is home."  
"Chloe, you are my home. Wherever you are."  
"This is why I love you." Chloe replied with a sigh. " get back here soon Kaidan."

Kaidan Alenko set foot on the citadel one week later. Clean shaven, fresh uniform, he was delighted to see Chloe waiting for him in the Alliance loading dock.  
"How did you get in here?"  
"I know a few people."  
"So good to see you." He dropped his kit bag and pulled her in for a hug “I missed you Chloe.”  
She hugged him back and he picked his bag up again.  
“Well, want to go get some food or are we heading home?” Kaidan managed to raise an eyebrow that made Chloe giggle; it was a sound he had missed.  
“We get married in a week, yes?”  
“That is the plan that Hackett forwarded to me yes.”  
“He has a few secrets up his sleeve,” Chloe replied with her eyes bright “So we will be sure to be polished for it.”  
“Aye-aye” Kaidan mock saluted his fiance, and they went home to her apartment, the one that had the near miss of damage from Saren.  
“Gods you would never know.” Kaidan took in the Presidium from the balcony “It is like nothing happened here.”  
“They moved fast to clear it.” Chloe admitted “We don’t even know where all the parts landed or who took them.”  
“Still, you would think some sign would exist. It is just the same as it ever was.” Kaidan shook his head “Would have hoped even a plaque to Shepard or something.”  
“They ...never found his body.” Chloe said quietly standing next to Kaidan “Anderson said that he had been there personally, and found his helmet.”  
“His helmet.” Kaidan understood the full implications of that statement “Damn.”  
“He left it on Alchera, a fitting monument maybe.”  
“Sorry Chloe.” Kaidan wrapped his arms around her again “I feel like I was shipped off before we got much talking done.”  
“Oh I know. I only just woke up and got home. Look at me” she grinned as he looked her up and down “Not a sign that I was injured at all.”  
“No you are right.” Kaidan walked inside behind her, and sat on the sofa. Chloe curled up next to him.  
“Earth was the same though, no sign of anyone even knowing what is coming.”  
“Did you see your parents?”  
“Yeah, Dad said they had started to fortify their supplies, make the farm more self-sufficient. My uncle has been helping, they own the farm together.”  
“I am glad they listened to us.” Chloe sighed, closing her eyes feeling content.  
“So am I.” Kaidan said, placing his arm around Chloe, chuckling to himself as she fell asleep there. He suspected she had not slept near as much as she had claimed to in the time he was gone. 

Chloe was out early the next morning, Kaidan awoke to an empty bed and a note pinned to the mirror.  
“Gone to work. Breakfast on the counter, coffee in pot. See you tonight. C.”  
Kaidan smiled and got ready to show up at his new job. The job was to teach human biotics and supervise training for spec forces. For now though he was told to go to the Alliance office and work with a writer to get the training material ready.  
Kaidan was not a teacher. The whole idea sent thoughts of fear through him, but he promised himself that in order to remain close to Chloe, he would do what it takes.  
“Kaidan Alenko?” the Security officer on the first level approached him as he was signing in.  
“Yes?”   
“Admiral Hackett has asked that you be escorted to his office.”  
“Escorted?”  
“Oh don’t worry, he is just making sure you don’t get lost in this maze.” the security officer replied with a smile “This way Lieutenant.”

“Ah at last I get to meet you properly.” The Admiral stood from his desk and waved the security officer away “Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko.”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“You are not in trouble.”  
“That is a. That’s a relief sir.”  
“You know that I followed Chloe in her career from when she was 18, I was at the hospital where they recruited her from for unrelated issues.” Hackett smiled “I am pleased she found a strong and able man Alenko, you don’t need to worry, take a seat we have a few things to discuss.”  
“Yes sir.” Kaidan sat down confused with why he was there.  
“Firstly, I think we should stop calling you Lieutenant - Anderson put through the papers to have you promoted but with everything we have not had a chance for a ceremony, if you would accept the rank it would be easier.”  
“Sir.”  
“Major.” Hackett grinned as he passed over the envelope with the paperwork and pips for uniform in.”About time from reading your records, Shepard also recommended you.”  
“Sir I don’t know that..”  
“I know, you were close Major, it is always hard to lose a friend in battle.”  
“Yes. It is.”  
“Marrying his sister is a good idea.”  
“You know sir?”  
“Siblings, twins I think, yes I know.” Hackett stood again from his desk and started to pace. “It is linked to what I wanted to talk to you about”  
Kaidan waited while the Admiral obviously gathered his thoughts.  
“This business with Saren, and the ship… the Reaper.” Hackett corrected himself carefully “there isn't much we can do at present without standing on toes, but I want you to teach a few things under the table so to speak.”  
“:Sir?”  
“Your trainees are skilled biotics who we think will work well in spec forces, as undercover operatives.”  
“I trained with biotics on earth just previously.”  
“Yes but these ones will be different. The group you will be in charge of, are a talented bunch - sourced from all over the Alliance. They know about the reapers, they were given direct access to information on Sovereign.” Hackett sat down lifting a pen and writing on a piece of paper. “I need you to answer their questions as best you can, teach them defensive biotics, and above all how to blend in.”  
“Blend in.. Sir I don't know how..”  
“You know how to eat like a normal human, and make it look like you are not a biotic.”  
“Ah, you mean control sir?”  
“Yes, and I know why you set yourself up like that, don’t think I haven’t gone over your history with a comb, you really are suited to this.”  
“Captain Anderson send me a message saying the same things sir.” Kaidan admitted.  
“Now, I am holding classes off until two days after you get married. Got to focus on one thing at a time.”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“Chloe is an amazing woman, Alenko, you know she’s chosen to take your name?”  
“She said as much when we were talking about names, but we haven’t said much on the topic since.”  
“So look after her, Major, or you will have me to answer to.” Hackett smiled “Dismissed.”

In the week that followed, Chloe had her dress finalized, and hidden at Silea’s apartment which happened to be closer to the Alliance headquarters where they were going to get married. Kaidan had his uniform clean and pressed, his new stripes and such added. 

“You realise we are equal rank now.” Chloe remarked the day before their wedding, as both of them had the day off and were lounging around in the apartment.  
“Yep. I think Admiral Hackett did that deliberately.” Kaidan replied “He is.. Intimidating.”  
“Did he do the whole ‘your dating my daughter’ thing with you?”  
“As close as - he told me to look after you.”   
“Anything else I should know about?”  
“He told me you wanted to change your name.”  
“Ah, we hadn’t talked about that since… for a while.” Chloe replied “I do want a legitimate name.”  
“Yes I know.” Kaidan moved to lean on the bench in the kitchen, where Chloe was cooking something. He wasn’t sure what, it didn’t smell terrible though.  
“Well if it is okay with you, I want to do something that to everyone else will look terribly old fashioned.”   
“Take my name when you marry me?” Kaidan replied nodding “Why not?”  
“Because… it is terribly old fashioned.” Chloe laughed “Though i think the Admiral approved.”  
“He’s known you a long time?”  
“Since I was just barely 18 and in the hospital after a massive gang fight; and they found out I was biotic.” Chloe hummed over a pot “He was the person who suggested they recruit the crazy kid.”   
“What are you cooking?”  
“Dinner. Ah at least that was the plan I learned to cook at Arcturus like everyone else. Cantina food there is really not good.”  
“And identifying food for me?”  
“Pasta.” she grinned “With homemade tomato sauce.”   
“I am about to marry a good woman.”  
“Let me know after you eat it. I am no brilliant chef.” Chloe replied “Don’t worry too much about the Admiral, he is as close to a father as I could get.”  
“That’s fair. At least I know he won’t order you to your death.” Kaidan sighed “I do worry you know.”  
“That’s the way it is. We both do.” Chloe nodded as she pulled plates out of the cupboard.  
“Then at least when we are married they can inform us of things, spousal privilege or whatever.” Kaidan picked red wine from their small wine stand.   
“Alright inner at the table.” Chloe instructed, “I have already set it.”  
Kaidan nodded and carried a plate of pasta to the table, and poured the drinks ready.  
“Let’s toast ourselves, for our marriage, for our life together.” Kaidan smiled “Lets live as well as we can.”  
“That is a good toast.”

The day of the wedding Chloe kissed Kaidan goodbye early, she wanted to get to Silea’s apartment so she could dress, and slipped out the door. Kaidan sat around reading some reports until he too got dressed to go down to the Alliance headquarters. 

To his surprise when he got there he was ushered into the chapel, a room they generally kept aside for those grieving when service personnel were dead or missing. It was small, and not overly decorated. Although someone had gone to the effort of making paper roses for the altar at the top of the room.   
“Kaidan, come stand at the front, follow me.” Anderson murmured to him as he entered and directed the young man to the front of the room, before taking his seat smugly.   
Admiral Hackett entered and stood at the front, followed by the Turian c-sec officer who had been helping Chloe in the wards, and her sister Ruia who glanced at Kaidan and grinned.  
Then somewhere some music played and Kaidan turned to the entrance, expecting Chloe in her dress blues. When she entered in a figure hugging white dress, with an open back and high neckline, Kaidan could only stare at her with a giant smile. Then the promises were made and the forms were signed. They were married.   
Admiral Hacket announced them as “ Mr and Mrs Alenko!”  
“The dress is stunning.” Kaidan whispered to her as soon as he could.   
“I know. Ruia made it,” she gestured to the smaller of the two turians in the room “She is very talented!”   
“It is more than I expected.”  
“I… I was told to get a dress.” Chloe shrugged.  
“These are for you.” Hackett handed them both a small package.   
“Thank you sir.” Kaidan frowned unwrapping it, a brand new set of tags, with a new holographic display inset into them landed in his hand.   
“I figured since your wife got the new variety you should too.” the Admiral smiled.   
“Well i can give you two days off now, but we do need both of you back to work soon as possible.”   
“Yes Sir.” they replied before the Admiral moved away to talk to Anderson. Chloe pulled her tags out, and swapped the ones she was wearing for the new ones.  
“There, that feels right.” She grinned “Going to have to get used to being called Mrs…”  
“I can call you that for two days.” Kaidan whispered in her ear.  
“Just tell them Silea!” The turians came over to where they were standing Silea sighed.  
“We have a small meal prepared for you at my apartment, my sister, insisted.”   
“That would be great, my clothes and makeup are still there. I can get changed.” Chloe nodded.   
“This feels very normal.” Kaidan laughed “Yes we would be happy to come over.”

In the time it took them to get normality going, Chloe and Kaidan were content to be married. With a very domestic work timetable, Hackett had given them space to breathe, with neither being sent far from the citadel or away from each other.


	24. Two years and 12 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been two years and twelve days since Shepard died.  
> So why now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to finish out the story for ME2, and then section off from 1-2-3 of ME time line; so that it it is easier to read and easier on my google docs. I have finished 50k for Nanowrimo but the story.. must go on.

“Wake up Shepard,” Chloe heard a voice telling her “Wake up and grab your pistol.”  
She opened her eyes and saw herself in a lab, on a table.  
“What the hell?”  
“Get your pistol and armor from the locker. I can’t distract the mechs for long.”  
“This weapon has no thermal clip…”  
“Chloe?” Kaidan shook his wife to wake her up “You are having a nightmare again.”  
Chloe sat up, as she always did, nearly hitting Kaidan in the face.  
“Oh gods.” She felt the panic set in, “What the hell… oh…”  
“What was that? You were talking in your sleep?”  
“I… was in a lab… the voice called me Shepard…” Chloe shook her head trying to dislodge the feeling that Sheprd was somehow alive.  
“I don’t understand. Was it somewhere you had been before?”  
“No… but..”her voice shook “I don’t understand Kaidan, why am I dreaming of him if he’s dead?”  
“Have you had any other dreams like it?”  
“One.” Chloe stood and started pacing. “I was asleep in my dream, like I hadn’t slept for years. Then I was waking up, a male said’ He’s waking up, Miranda; “  
“Miranda?”  
“That was the name, and no I don’t know any Miranda’s, maybe I heard the name in passing?” she suggested “This Miranda person came over and told me to relax, I saw her in my dream, she had a uniform of some kind on, with an emblem, and I woke up after that.”  
“Can you draw it?”  
“I can do better. I looked into it.” Chloe abruptly stopped pacing, and turned to Kaidan “It was Cerberus.”  
“Come back to bed, it won’t do any good missing sleep.” Kaidan advised “I don’t have any ideas Chloe, Shepard is gone we know that.”  
“You don’t think…”  
“No. I think it was just a dream?” He hugged her when she slid back into bed. “I miss him too.”  
“I know. Sometimes I regret not finding him sooner.”  
“Don’t.” Kaidan said quietly “It doesn’t help.”  
“I know.” She gave a weak smile as she lay back against him. “I just can’t help feeling the grief over again, and it was a stupid dream.”

A week later, Chloe walked into Serice Electronics on the Citadel to pick up a part for Kaidan, she froze in her steps.  
“I am Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite store on the citadel.”  
“What?”  
“Awesome isn’t it?” The Salarian owner of the place said “He just recorded it for me yesterday.”  
“I ah… yeah its cool.” Chloe felt her nerves racing “I’m here for a part for Kaidan Alenko.”  
“Oh Mrs Alenko, of course here you go, all paid for we were just waiting on the part.”  
“Thanks, see you next time.”  
By the time Chloe got outside she had dialed Kaidan a message, but also sent a message to Admiral Hackett.  
Hackett got back to her quickly requesting that she come to his office.  
Kaidan’s reply came while she was in the car.  
“Does this mean he is?”  
“It's a rumour.” she shot back “I have not seen proof.”  
She was waiting at Hackett’s office for a few minutes, looking out over the citadel.  
“Major Alenko.” Hackett’s secretary invited her into his office.  
“Chloe.”  
“Is it true?”  
“We are tracking a ship named Normandy, it just left citadel space heading for Illium.”  
“Is he alive Sir?”  
“We think...we need to find out for sure.”  
“Gods.” Chloe sat down on the chair hard. “I was dreaming about him the other night. Please, let me go to Illium and find out?”  
“I need a reason to send you.”  
“Information? There is an information broker there, Liara, I am pretty sure she can help us in the long run if we strengthen ties.”  
“She was on the first Normandy.” Hackett murmured “Chloe it is risky.”  
“Why?”  
“Here, we found this on a blue son’s rep from lower Zakera.”  
“Harken.” she sighed “He put a price on my head?”  
“Yes.”  
“Damn it.” Chloe thought for a moment “I want to go anyhow.”  
“We have a job for your husband as well, I don’t want to give you details.”  
“If anyone can understand top secret stuff, Sir, it is me.” Chloe replied.  
“I know.” Hackett paced “I hate sending people into certain risk.”  
“I need to know as much as anyone else, you know I can handle myself.”  
“Use your new name.” he said “Pack light, be mobile. If you get into trouble…”  
“Is Illium in the realm of rescue?” she asked  
“I know an Asari there… call them if you need help.” he handed her a datapad “Stay in this hotel, don’t make anyone think you are there on business.”  
“Understood.”  
“Be careful Chloe.” Hackett replied “I don’t like any of this, something isnt right.”

Chloe was booking her ticket as she left the office and headed home. Kaidan was there when she arrived.  
“I was just called to go on a secret mission…” Kaidan said with a sigh.  
“You too?” Chloe told him “All I can say is I will say hi to Liara for you.”  
“Miss you already.” Kaidan hugged her “But my ship goes today.”  
“Thats the way of these.” Chloe nodded “I need to finish packing but…”  
“Be careful!” they both said looking at each other.  
“We have the channel, though I don’t know how it will go if I am sent out to the terminus.. Odd I have a message.”  
Kaidan was at the computer trying to sort out a few things before he left his students.  
“Tali… “ he muttered pulling Chloe over so she could read it too.  
“Shepard is alive. I saw him at Freedom’s progress.”  
“It’s still a rumour.” Chloe said “But why would he have survived and not told us?”  
“I don’t know.” Kaidan sighed “Freedom’s progress was one of the colonies that disappeared, what if cerberus has to do with that.”  
“I guess we need to do our jobs and hope they tell us things when they know.”  
“Yeah. I guess.”  
Chloe kissed him lightly “I am not saying farewell, only see you again.”  
“Such a romantic.” he teased “I will be back in a month.”  
“Hopefully so will I.” Chloe replied “mission is open ended.”  
“Let’s go then. I can walk you to the shuttle.” Kaidan sighed  
“Tell me to have a good holiday when you see me off and you will help my cause.”  
“Of course.” he smiled “Nice having a sexy spy for a wife.”  
“Ok.. ok.. We really have to go.” Chloe laughed and led the way out the door. They managed a convincing farewell at the transport, and Chloe was on her way to Illium.

Ilium was on the edge of the Terminus space, that Chloe was free to walk around only because of her ability to see trouble coming, she surprised a pick pocket at one point and saw a blue sun's operative at another. She was almost back to her hotel room when someone grabbed her.  
“Be quiet, a guy has been following you for two hours.” the man hissed in her ear as he held her still in the shadowy alcove. A man snuck up the stairs, in a comic pose of a person tracking someone, but regardless dangerous.  
“Which room…” the man was looking. “Damn it Harken told me everything except the room number.. Stupid bitch crossing us.”  
The man shoved her behind him.  
“Looking for someone?”  
“Oh ah, my wife forgot our room key.” the man flashed a grin.  
“Really? You should ask at the counter.”  
“I um…” he coughed as another man came up the steps “Damn you, you have no authority here c-sec.”  
“Garrus?” Chloe forgot the danger she was in, the man smirked and shot her.  
“Shit.” the guy who had pulled Chloe back into the alcove took off after the man, Garrus blinked at both and then ran to Chloe.  
“Chloe? What are you doing here?”  
“Bleeding apparently” Chloe said weakly holding her side.  
“Ah. I don’t know where any medical stations are.. But our ship is at the port, let me call Chakwas.”  
“Dr Chakwas is with you?”  
“Yes.” Garrus said as Chloe tried to stand up.  
“I have a room here…” she gave him the key before she fell over.”I haven't unpacked/grabbed my kit bag, I should at least have some medi-gel?”  
“Ok.” Garrus opened her room and ran in, grabbed the bag, and ran out to Chloe again, just as Chakwas came up the steps.  
“Garrus?” Dr Chakwas said as she huffed up the steps “what is going… Chloe? Chloe Halon? “  
“Got married.”Chloe managed before passing out.  
“Married?”  
“Human custom Garrus,.”  
“I know what marriage is. We do it too.” Garrus replied quietly “I mean who…”  
“I will guess, “ The doctor pointed at her dog tags “ Alenko. Help me take her back to the Normandy.”  
“Won’t Cerberus girl chuck a fit?”  
“So be it.” Chakwas murmured “I am not leaving her to die here. Who was the other guy?”  
“An old friend I was meeting here, and they told me she was dead.” Garrus replied, taking the key and giving it to the front desk before they left.  
“Just as well this is close to the space port.” They carried Chloe past the normal crowd, being Illium no-one batted an eye a the two people carrying an unconscious figure.  
“Garrus you better tell Shepard she is here.” Chakwas reminded him “I need to make sure shes ok.”  
“Yes ok.”

Chloe woke up in a med bay on the Normandy, for the second time.  
“Where am I? Who are you?” she asked before she came to focus on her surrounds.  
“Doctor Chakwas?”  
“Chloe!” the doctor checked her over “Giving me a shock as per usual. Are you okay?”  
“I . think? Where am I?”  
“On the Normandy.”  
“Shit.” Chloe glanced around “This isn’t what I am meant to be doing.”  
“No but it seems you made an enemy out of people on the citadel, they tracked you to Illum.”  
“Ah.” Chloe sighed “Who was the other person?”  
“A C-sec officer, apparently your enemies, enemy if I am to understand Garrus right. He was going to give Garrus some information.”  
“Which is how Garrus was there?”  
“Yes, He has been with us since Omega.” Chakwas went silent for a moment “Did you get married Chloe?”  
“Kaidan and I… “ she smiled “just a small thing. So I am Chloe Alenko, Major Alenko.”  
“Ah Congratulations. Last I heard you were in a coma, and they were not so convinced about your recovery.”  
“That was nearly 2 years ago.” Chloe replied quietly “I managed to fight my way out of it in the end.”  
They could hear voices on the other side of the doors.  
“Shepard come on, slow down.” the voice cried “so one of your old crew is on board..”  
“You don’t understand.” He had a hand on the door, as Doctor Chakwas smirked  
“Major Alenko, Commander Shepard.”  
“Major Alenko?” Shepard echoed as his eyes adjusted to the light.  
“Patrick.”  
“Shit Chloe, you have no idea..” he crossed the room in long strides to get there before Chloe could react and hugged her. She winced, and he backed off two steps.  
“And you are in the infirmary again?”  
“Occupational hazard?”  
“Did the doctor just say Alenko?”  
Chloe smiled and nodded.  
“That means Kaidan…” Pat asked and Chloe shook her head.  
“He was sent off on his own mission. Married does not mean inseparable.”  
“You still work for Hackett?”  
“Yes.”  
“Well. Shit..” Pat said again, shaking his head.  
“We did think you were dead, until i started dreaming about you, and had the stores on the citadel saying your name.” she paused. “I am not sure I want to know who you are working with.”  
“Chloe…” Pat sighed. “I was dead. Two years on a medical table to be bought back.”  
“I see.” Chloe shook her head, she couldn't grasp what he was saying.  
The door opened again.  
“Who the hell? Shepard?”  
“Well, wait let me finish explaining one thing one direction..”  
“No…. She's a security risk. I know who she is.”  
“Do you?”  
“Operative Chloe Halon, works for Admiral Hackett directly. Collects intelligence for the Alliance.”  
“Your intel is old.” Chloe offered looking past Patrick “oh my …”  
“Old huh?”  
“You were.. You were in my dream, this is ridiculous.” Chloe was pale.  
“I guess the universe wanted you to know I was alive.” Pat muttered, touching Chloe’s shoulder. “Sorry, you are the first person I would have called if I could.”  
“Wait,” Miranda came over as Doctor Chakwas smiled into her datapad. “What is your relationship with Shepard?”  
“He is my brother.” Chloe said calmly “Twin.”  
Miranda shook her head indicating it was impossible.  
“How? There are no records of you anywhere?”  
“I know.” Chloe raised her eyebrow “I didn’t want to take a part in his life, Pat’s the hero not me.”  
“We met by accident.”  
“Yeah you could say that.” Chloe laughed. “I was loaded onto the old Normandy, in a crate.”  
“So how did your dna profile not come up when we found Shepard’s?”  
“Hackett.” Chloe said “the short answer is I worked for him so he hid it; not even the crew on the Normandy knew.”  
“Although that brings me to the other out of date info… I got married six months ago.” Chloe waited a moment before adding “To Kaidan Alenko.”  
“My best friend married my sister.. And I wasn’t able to go..” Shepard sighed.  
“Beat the Reapers and we can have a better party.” Chloe replied “why are you getting a team together?”  
“How did you…?”  
“New Ship, Cerberus colours.”  
“We are going after the Collectors, Chloe.” Shepard paused as Miranda threw up her hands giving up “Going through the Omega 4 relay.”  
“What?”  
“I know. It might be a one way trip.” He shook his head as he looked at her “I don’t want to drag you with me.”  
“Ok but..”  
“No, we can take you back to the Citadel, don't worry about that, but I can’t take you through the relay knowing I might not bring you back. Kaidan would stalk me and kill me if I did.”  
“Ok.”  
“Joker is here too. He will be glad to hear from you.” Chakwas added as Chloe nodded.  
“You can’t just let her wander about the ship…” Miranda complained  
“I can.” Pat replied with a grin “Come see me later, privately Chloe, when we get moving, we can talk then.”  
“Ok… you do owe me that.” Chloe nodded and shrugged at Miranda as she stood up from the med table and moved forward.  
“Dizzy?”Chakwas asked as Chloe clutched the end of the table she nodded.  
“It will pass, give it a moment.”  
when she could move she went to the doctor and gave her a hug.  
“Thank you for saving my butt again. It’s so good to see you.” Chloe grinned as she let go and moved out of the room.  
“Just try not getting shot at for the next reunion.” The doctor called after her.

Chloe walked through an achingly familiar scene, built like the old Normandy but bigger the ship was missing some key personnel. She stood just behind Joker’s chair as he talked to the ship’s AI.  
“Who did Garus bring back that got Miranda all up tight again?” Joker was asking  
“I don’t know, some weird person.” Chloe said behind his chair, Joker spun around so fast that she was knocked into him.  
“Chloe!” He gasped hugging her before letting her stand up  
“Do that too often Joker and you will break your legs!” Chloe sighed and sat in the co-pilot chair. “So this is real leather?”  
“Yeah not bad huh?”  
“Cerberus?”  
“They are footing the bill, let me fly, bought Shepard back.” Chloe nodded she understood some of it, but she hated Cerberus.  
“It would give me pause.”  
“I know. That’s why I didn’t call before I fell off-grid.” Joker replied, “How is Kaidan?”  
“Good., wait, was that a trap?”  
“Yeah. in a way.” Joker sighed “Is he with you?”  
“No.” she pulled her tags out and leaned forward “But look at this.”  
“Chloe Alenko.” Joker read “Really?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Congrats, you two were definitely meant for each other.”  
“You sound.. Sad?”  
“I always liked you, Chloe. You know that.”  
“Sorry.”  
“Not your fault.” Joker glanced at her “Besides, you were unconscious last I heard, and I just took off, hardly an admirer.”  
“Kaidan was there the whole time.” Chloe replied, “He even put off being assigned as long as he could.”  
“They reassigned everyone.”  
“I know.” Chloe said “Technically I was just sent back to my former position. Not one your Cerberus chick likes.”  
“Ah, Miranda.” Joker grinned “Whatever annoys her only makes her stronger.”  
“Heh, I guess so.”  
“You were unconscious again when they bought you on?”  
“Yes.”  
“You have to stop doing that, if you wanted a reunion all you had to do was say so.”  
“You are all very hard to find,” Chloe replied as her omnitool pinged.  
“Work calling.” she replied “I better check-in.”  
“Don’t leave the ship.” Joker warned, “You get shot at again and we won't be able to rescue you.”  
“Ok, I'm not leaving yet. Going to be getting off at the Citadel though, sorry Joker, I can’t come with you this time.”


	25. Cerberus Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe decides that the best way to get under Cerberus' skin is to walk around the ship and meet people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finished Nano, but this story needs to finish itself too. So I am keeping on going with it, although I will most likely be posting other things as well.

The ping on the omnitool was actually Kaidan checking in, Chloe decided quickly not to tell him about being on the Normandy and to share only a little information. She then decided to walk around a little bit.  
She knew Garrus would be in the battery trying to get the guns working properly. She knew to avoid the CIC and the Comms room, so instead, she made her way to engineering.  
“Wow, what an engine.” she stared at the size of the drive core.  
“Who are you?” One of the engineers came over to her and looked at her closely then turned to the other one “Hey Gabby, it’s that girl that Si had on his locker.”  
“You were on the Perugia?”Chloe asked, frowning.  
“Yes ma’am.” the Engineer replied “ My name is Engineer Ken Donnelly”  
“And I am Engineer Gabby Daniels”  
“Si had my picture on his locker?” Chloe laughed “Oh gods, really?”  
“You were in a coma when he first came aboard, we knew he was related to you somehow.”  
“Adopted.” Chloe replied “I guess that makes me his mother legally.”  
“Ah that does explain it,” Gabby nodded “He was keen to tell us that you were family.”  
“It does work that way.” Chloe angled her head “How did you end up here?”  
“Cerberus recruited us after we left the Alliance, they were refusing to listen to Shepard’s warnings about the Reaper menace.”  
“And now we are after the collectors… does this mean he recruited you?”  
“Nope.” Chloe shook her head “Just visiting for a few days.”  
“I see, so you are here to see Shepard?”  
“Yeah, he owed me a call but he forgot about it.” She smiled “It’s fine, I won’t interfere with anything, I just wanted to look around.”  
“Don’t eat the food, it’s not the best.”Gabby added   
“I always carry bars with me.” Chloe laughed  
“Ah a Biotic then, amazing, none of our sensors picked it up.”   
“Well, I am a special case, so I doubt they would. Anyhow, where should I avoid on ship?”  
“There is a Krogan in the aft store room, you want to avoid him.”  
“There is Jack in the hold, she's a bit wired, more ready to kill people than I've ever met, but that one is up to you.”  
“The turian in the battery…”  
“He’s a friend.”  
“Ah.” Gabby nodded “We wondered where Shepard knew him from.”  
“He’s a moody one that’s for sure.”   
“I guess something happened between now and when I knew him.” Chloe said quietly “He is one of the best people i know.”  
“That is glowing praise.” Gabby said “We just stay down here and run the ship - except for a few card games.”  
“Yeah? You would have fun with Joker with those.” Chloe laughed “I better get moving, if I stay too long in one place, Miranda will come after me.”  
“Thanks for stopping by” Ken said as he turned back to his console “It’s good to see Si wasn’t crazy.”  
“Well.. he might be.” Gabby replied to Ken as she turned back to her work.   
Chloe chuckled as she left the engineering, they were sure characters.  
Chloe decided whoever Jackwas, she couldn’t kill her today and she sat on the step leading down to the hold to catch her breath.  
“Who are you?” the voice from the darkness below her was cold.  
“A family member of Shepard’s.”  
“He has family?” the doubt was fair, up to this point none of the Cerberus people even knew Chloe existed.  
“Mostly just me.” Chloe replied “I am his sister, his twin.”  
“You don’t look like him.” surly but not as aggressive as before, a woman with a high ponytail, shaved head, and covered in tattoos, with very little by way of clothing, stood before her.  
“Nope, non-identical twins. We only found out about each other a few years ago.”  
“Aw how sweet.” sarcasm now “Do you work here?”  
“Me? Nope. Miranda is having a fit I am even on the ship.”  
“Then you are my new friend.” Jack laughed.  
“You don’t like Cerberus?”  
“Hell no.” Jack was certainly an interesting person, even if she did appear scary.   
“Nor do I.” Chloe replied “they have a habit of lying, and trapping people.”  
“You don’t look like they hurt you?”  
“Nah looks are deceptive.” Chloe replied “You don’t look like someone I would have expected to fight Collectors either.”  
“Shepard got me from cryo, haven’t decided if I can be bothered staying or going yet.” Jack paused “Or stealing the ship.”  
“Well, take Joker with you if you steal it, it would only be the third time he has stolen a ship - that I know of.”  
“You know these guys?” Jack was curious now, still blocking the way to her area, Chloe accepted that, anyone with that much hatred of Cerberus had a right to privacy on a Cerberus ship.  
“I was on the original Normandy. For a while.”   
“You weren’t on the crew list though.” Jack peered at her again, eyes narrowing “What are you?”  
“Alliance.military.” Chloe replied “I arrived on the first Normandy by accident, though a happy accident as it turned out - be dead otherwise; I was unconscious inside a sealed crate.”  
“Huh.” Jack was still processing that “Miranda freaked out because you are military?”  
“ No she freaked out because I am a spy.” Chloe laughed “Not that it matters, I am not here for any of you.”  
“Shepard.”  
“Yes.” nodding Chloe fiddled with her dog tags “I did not know for sure he was alive.”  
“So they sent you to find out?”  
“I volunteered.” Chloe said with a raised eyebrow “But I am in a unique job environment.”  
“You aren’t lying to me, why not?” Jack moved up at sat on the step below her.  
“What’s the point of lying? The Illusive man would now know exactly who I am and where I came from. Also why I am here.” Chloe shrugged “So the fact I am walking around his big expensive ship without restrictions, will give him pause.”  
“Have you met Grunt?” Jack asked “Krogan, picks fights with everything.”  
“I.. met the engineers and they told me about him and suggested I stay away.”  
“They told you to avoid me too?”  
“Yeah.” Chloe shrugged then grinned “Not good at doing what I am told.”  
“What rank are you?”  
“Huh? Oh military. I am a Major.” she fiddled with her tags and accidentally triggered the hologram “dang it.”  
“What’s that?”   
“Holographic information chit, it has my ID in case of … well in case of death.” she shrugged “Hoping I won’t need it.”  
“Looks new.” Jack was interested in trying to find holes in Chloe’s story.  
“Here you can look.” Chloe leaned forward her tags in her hands.”  
“Alenko?” Jack asked.”Not Shepard?”  
“I got married nearly a year ago, Kaidan was the Lieutenant in charge of the marine detail.” Chloe replied “my boss gave us new tags as a wedding gift.”  
“You really aren’t lying?” Jack shook her head “Definitely not Cerberus.”   
“Definitely not. They lie three times before breakfast.” Chloe replied. “Is Shepard okay?”  
“Miranda is possessive as all fuck, and Shepard is good at cirumventing her shit with a smile.”  
“That sounds like Pat.” Chloe’s reply was cautious, she was still unsure.  
“You aren’t sure if he’s for real?”  
“We… thought he would call us, or contact us… I guess it makes sense if he is dodging around Cerberus rules but… “ Chloe shook her head sadly “Our collective world’s were destroyed when we lost him; to have him back…”  
“He has a mission.” Jack replied “ he seems pretty focused on that.”  
“Yeah. I guess he would be.” Chloe nodded.  
“You joining us?”  
“No.” Chloe exhaled “I would if … but I can’t. Shepard won’t let me, my boss won’t approve.”  
“Shepard won’t let you?”  
“My husband, Kaidan, Shep and he were best friends.” Chloe was sitting staring at a spot on the wall now “So Shep owes him I guess.”  
“Why do you call him Shepard?” Jack’s eyes narrowed.  
“I had a different name. We grew up on the streets, when I joined up, I picked a random name.” Chloe shrugged “I am not really sure if it even makes sense any more, but to a kid at 18 when they ask for your name, you give them one.”  
“You really aint lying?”  
“Nope. Why lie to you Jack? From what I hear, you would retaliate.” Chloe raised an eyebrow at the woman “Listen, you hate Cerberus, and that is enough for me.”  
Jack was watching her frowning.  
“You have access to their files? Look up Operation Snowblind.” Chloe said bitterly “I am sure it will tell you a lot about a young Private named Halon, who they were experimenting on.”  
“You have reason then.” Jack was still unsure.  
“I’m not trying to be a friend Jack, I am trying to find out if Shepard is ok. I need to know people will watch his back who aren’t cerberus. Or convinced of cerberus.” She threw a glance at the engineering compartment.  
“I am the last person…”  
“He will help you do whatever it is you want…” Chloe replied  
“Revenge,” Jack gave a saccharine sweet sweet smile “on Cerberus. I will check your story.”  
“After this, if you make it back... . I know Pat is going to try and get back to Earth to warn them…” Chloe closed her eyes, images from Pat’s vision came unbidden.  
“He is a boy-scout.” Jack laughed   
“Nah, he just knows what is coming.” She opened her eyes to look at Jack “Hit me up if you need help Jack, don’t say anything, just store the information for later. I better move on, Miranda will think I am drawing the schematics.”  
“Just how do I contact you?” Jack asked, her face softening for just a minute.  
“Here. My direct message link.” Chloe opened her com interface on her omni-tool.  
“Shit you got fancy gear.” Jack admired it.  
“I am a biotic, plus my omnit-tool is specced out for solo work.” Chloe shrugged “Kaidan is also good at fixing these things up.”  
“No wonder Miranda hates you.” Jack laughed “You woulda set all the sensors and alarms off.”  
“No, she hates me because I didn’t.” Chloe shrugged “I am an L3, it’s a custom wiring specifically for my job so I don’t get caught.”  
“You get your amp through security?”  
“Sure, most of it. Alliance of course not so much, since they developed the wiring.”Chloe shrugged “But it can be fun to set those alarms off too.”  
“Not as pure as Shepard then, a little more wild?”  
“Shepard, did his thing, he is the hero. I am the sneak. I always have been, even in the gangs.”  
“You look too clean for gangs.” Jack replied but with less animosity.  
“Had that particular tattoo removed.” Chloe said her mouth set “I never want to be part of them ever again.”  
“Right.” Jack shrugged “If I look you up on cerberus, will they have info on that?”  
“Likely.” Chloe stood to go “You can always message me to ask. I don’t mind chatting now and then if that’s your thing.”  
“Like hell.”  
“Well, we all need friends, up to you. Offer of help is valid. You help Pat, I help you.”  
“Deal.” Jack replied “But I am still going to stir shit with him.”  
“Of course.” Chloe had another ping on her omnitool “Shit, work again.. Got to go.”  
“Hey Chloe?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Thanks for stopping.” the unexpected sentence made Chloe nod to the girl and head back up, around to the lift.  
“Ah, AI person?” Chloe asked   
“Please call me Edi, Chloe, what do you wish to know?”  
“How is Joker?”  
“He is coping with the shift to Cerberus remarkably well Chloe, though he still has some issues where I am concerned.”  
“Yeah the Alliance isn’t keen on AI.” Chloe replied, “But you seem alright.”  
“I wanted you to know, I will do what I can to help Shepard succeed at this mission.” Edi paused “And I have blocked some of Miranda’s reports about you.”  
“Well that I did not expect…”  
“Jeff asked me to help.” The AI continued “So I will do what I can.”  
“Thank’s Edi, I just want them all back in one piece,” Chloe sighed, “ Even the Cerberus staff.”  
“Given your history, that is a commendable attitude.”  
“I am Pat’s sister.” Chloe laughed “ Some things have to be similar. Ah, has Joker seen those files?”  
“Yes. It was one of the first things he researched when given access.”  
“Damn it.” Chloe frowned “Pat seen them?”  
“Again he requested the information as a show of faith from me. I am sorry if I had known you didn’t wish them to see it.”  
“Thanks Edi, it’s ok not like I can time travel and fix things.” Chloe swore under her breath, the conversation with Pat was going to be interesting.  
“You are part of the crew until we return you to the Citadel.” Edi added as the lift arrived at the next deck “If you wish I can forward you a copy of the files.”  
“Yes that would help me later, trying to piece together what was going on.” Chloe nodded to herself, she could do that after she got back. “Thanks Edi.”


End file.
